


Colors of Love

by peetzahjoe



Series: NaNoWriMo Novels [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, all of these are very brief, i guess, mentions of cutting, mentions of depression, parts are fluffier than i would normally write sooooo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-12 21:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 84,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13556367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peetzahjoe/pseuds/peetzahjoe
Summary: The Riker/Jeff cliche soulmate AU I never intended on, but my brain decided needed to be written.Or, the one where you don't see color until you meet your soulmate, with my own twists.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song Paint Me from Team Starkid's Firebringer (everyone should watch it. It is fantastic and female lead driven and lesbians)
> 
> This idea was basically fueled by that tumblr post about not being able to see colors until you meet your soulmate. It was on my list of "short stories" to write for Riker/Jeff for a long time, so I decided, WHY NOT MAKE IT A NOVEL
> 
> As usual for NaNo projects, there will be little numbers that correlate to notes at the end of each chapter. Most of these are for small details as I brush over a lot of little things from the main story, because if I had incorporated them, I would still be writing this damn novel until I died. Feel free to message/comment with any questions (or typos, PLS TYPOS, I AM MY OWN BETA)

**Age 3**

“Riker! C’mon, buddy! Bed time!” Ryan called through the house as he walked through the living room in search of the toddler. Curt glanced up at his father briefly and then turned back to his book with a snort.

“He’s been running around the house in his underwear while giggling for the past five minutes. Good luck,” Curt added.

“So nothing out of the ordinary,” Ryan chuckled as he ruffled Curt’s hair in passing. Curt hummed in agreement, but otherwise didn’t response. “Rike Tike!”

“ _Rawr_!” a small voice suddenly squeaked as Riker jumped out from behind a wall to latch onto Ryan’s legs. Ryan simply looked down at the excited three year old and quirked one eyebrow. Riker giggled happily and tightened his grip around Ryan’s legs.

“Now, Rike, you know Daddy can’t walk if you’re attached to his legs,” Miri crooned as she walked into the living room and removed Riker carefully from Ryan’s legs. Riker pouted dramatically, but easily settled into his mother’s arms.

“Lyssa getting ready for bed?” Ryan asked as he placed a hand gently on Miri’s back. Miri nodded in response and began to walk towards the stairs with Riker bouncing happily on her hip.

“Bed time story first, right?” Riker squeaked with an excited glint in his eyes.

“Only if you, at least, put a shirt on,” Miri informed. Riker’s eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically. Miri smiled and pressed a kiss to Riker’s forehead before she let him down to pick out a sleep shirt from his drawer. Riker toddled over to the dresser and pulled out the first shirt he found. Ryan snorted and walked over to help as Riker attempted to struggle his way into the shirt.

“Thank you, Daddy!” Riker chirped with a smile and light brown hair a mess around his head. Ryan simply smacked a kiss to Riker’s cheek and then nudged the toddler in the direction of his bed. Riker obeyed easily and scrambled up onto his bed, where he immediately snuggled down and grabbed onto his blanket.

“You all settled in?” Miri asked. Riker nodded and hummed happily as he wiggled around beneath his blankets. Miri smiled and walked over to sit at the foot of Riker’s bed while Ryan sat down on the floor next to her legs.

“Story time?” Riker asked sleepily.

“Which one do you want, bud?” Ryan asked as he reached out to run his fingers through Riker’s hair. Riker hummed to himself as he stuck his thumb into his mouth and thought.

“Colors. Wanna know about the colors,” Riker mumbled around his thumb, an enamored glint in his eyes. Miri and Ryan exchanged a small smile, not the least bit surprised Riker has asked for this.

“Well, as we have told you _many_ a time, every person has a soul mate,” Miri began as she reached out to hold onto Riker’s hand as he reached out and wiggled his little fingers at her. “Soul mates can be your best friend, or they can be your romantic partner for life. No one knows until they meet them. But the best part is when your world comes into color when you meet them.”

“Yeah,” Riker whispered sleepily, as if he already knew about the wonders of the experience.

“Colors are some of the best things in the world, and I can’t wait for you to see them one day, Tikey boy,” Ryan crooned as he smoothed down Riker’s hair.

“What it like for you when you meet Mommy?” Riker asked as he cracked one eye open to look at Ryan. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and ran one thumb over Riker’s eyebrow.

“It was Earth shattering. Even before colors started to appear before me, I knew she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. And then I saw her eyes and they were such a beautiful blue that I knew I was a goner,” Ryan informed in a voice of wonder, as if he hadn’t told this same story many times before.

“And you, Mommy?” Riker yawned as he switched his one eyed gaze to his mother. Miri smiled and rubbed her thumb soothingly across Riker’s knuckles.

“The same as Daddy. Those eyes are what dragged me in,” Miri hummed happily as she smiled over at her husband, who smiled back and bumped his forehead into her knee.

“I want that,” Riker said quietly.

“And you’ll have it someday, baby boy,” Miri informed in a whisper as she leaned forward to kiss Riker’s temple. “It will be beautiful and I can’t wait for you to have that, love.”

Riker simply made a small noise and snuggled deeper into his blankets. Ryan chuckled and shook his head slightly before he leaned forward to kiss Riker’s forehead one last time before they both carefully got up and left Riker’s room. Alyssa made a face at them as she passed them on her way back to her room while wrapped in her towel. Ryan chuckled and pulled lightly on her hair, making her squeak and move faster.

“So, what’s our count up to this week?” Ryan asked through a chuckle as he and Miri made their way back downstairs.

“Five out of five, my darling,” Miri replied with a flourish of her hands. “We have a romantic sap of a toddler.”

“That we do,” Ryan agreed as they walked over to the sink to work on the dishes. “If only every kid had that sense of wonder that he does.”

“Mhm,” Miri hummed in agreement. “I just hope whoever his soul mate is appreciates him for who he is. I don’t want him to lose that sense of wonder.”

“Well, we can never guarantee _that_ , but I’m sure his soul mate will only help that side of him to flourish,” Ryan said reassuringly as he bumped his hip into his wife’s playfully. Miri snorted and bumped her hip back into Ryan’s as the continued with the dishes.

“I know you’re right, I just worry,” Miri breathed.

“I know you do. You’re his mother,” Ryan laughed as he looked over at Miri and bat his eyelashes dramatically. Miri smiled and flicked water in Ryan’s direction while he continued to laugh. “But honestly, I believe our little boy will end up alright. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

“What? And I don’t?” Curt scoffed as he walked into the kitchen to throw away a banana peel.

“Oh, you _know_ you don’t,” Ryan teased as he flicked water at his elder son, who cackled and dodged out of the way of the water.

“You’re biased because you think it’s adorable Riker is all mushy about soul mates and seeing color,” Curt crooned.

“Be nice,” Miri chastised without any real heat. Curt smiled and shrugged his shoulders before he head upstairs with a wave thrown over his shoulder.

“You know, I think all of our kids will turn out alright,” Ryan commented. “I just think Riker is going to turn out the best.”

Miri simply snorted out a laugh and shook her head at her husband’s antics before pulling him back to the dishes.

000000

“Mommy! Daaaaddy!” Riker called out as he skipped through the house, arms swinging wildly at his sides.

“Yes, baby?” Miri asked in response.

“We go to park?” Riker asked innocently as he skipped up to his mother and pouted up at her. Miri gave an exaggerated sigh and looked over at Ryan, who was in his office.

“Rike Tike, you were just there before lunch,” Ryan said as he rolled his office chair towards the doorway.

“Yah. _Before_ lunch,” Riker reasoned with a wide smile plastered on his face. Ryan quirked an eyebrow at his son before he looked over at Miri.

“That face is your fault,” Ryan informed as he pointed at Riker. Miri released out a loud laugh and then reached out to flick Ryan on the forehead.

“Excuse me, but he is _your_ tiny clone, not mine,” Miri added. Ryan sighed and looked back down at Riker, who still had a smile plastered across his face.

“ _Pleaaase_ , Daddy,” Riker pouted as he bat his eyes. Riker heaved out one more sigh and then rubbed a hand down his face.

“You’re a menace, Riker Samuel,” Ryan informed, which only pulled an excited giggle from the toddler who knew he was getting his way. “Curt! Alyssa! Take the tiny manipulator to the park, please!”

“Just a minute!” Curt called out.

“It’s your fault he’s like that, Daddy!” Alyssa exclaimed at the same time even as they heard her bounding down the stairs.

“You know there’s a problem when the six year old speaks the truth, Ryan,” Miri informed with a smirk thrown in Ryan’s direction. Ryan rolled his eyes and otherwise ignored the comment as he helped Riker put his shoes on.

“Thanks, Mommy,” Alyssa giggled as she hopped into the kitchen while attempting to pull her shoes on.

“Alyssa, sit down and put your shoes on,” Ryan chastised. Alyssa stuck her tongue out at Ryan before she dropped down onto the floor. Curt snorted as he dodged around Alyssa to walk into the kitchen. Miri ruffled Curt’s hair fondly and kissed the top of his head.

“Be home by five for dinner,” Miri informed.

“Aye, aye, Mom,” Curt agreed as he saluted Miri. Riker giggled at his older brother and then wiggled his way out of Ryan’s lap to grab onto Curt’s hand. Curt smiled and grabbed onto both of Riker’s arms to wiggle them around. “It’s Riker the wiggle worm!”

“Careful, please,” Miri deadpanned even as Riker squealed and giggled in delight.

“C’mon, Curty,” Alyssa huffed as she pushed herself off of the floor. Curt smile and released one of Riker’s hands. Riker smiled and latched onto one of Alyssa’s hands with his free one as they headed for the front door.

“Be careful, kids!” Ryan called out.

“I’ll make sure we all come back with broken limbs!” Curt assured as they walked out the front door. Alyssa simply rolled her eyes at her older brother while Riker scrunched up his nose. “Don’t worry, baby brother, that won’t actually happen.”

“Good,” Riker chirped as he swung all of their hands back and forth as they walked. “Do swing?”

“Sure,” Alyssa and Curt both agreed before swinging the toddler carefully between them. Riker squealed in delight.

“How come there boxes at that house?” Riker asked as he looked at the house next door once he was back on the ground.

“Remember how the people who lived there left?” Curt asked in response. Riker nodded once and then held onto Curt and Alyssa’s hands tighter as he tripped over his own feet. Curt chuckled and helped Riker back to his feet while Alyssa shook her head. “Well, those people left, so now _new_ people are moving in.”

“I hope they nice,” Riker informed as he began to swing their hands again. “Other people not nice.”

“We’ll find out soon,” Alyssa told Riker as she subtly steered him around a stick so he wouldn’t trip on it. Riker nodded once, his tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration. “Now, c’mon. Let’s go on the swings.”

“Swings!” Riker squeaked happily as he released his older siblings’ hands in order to throw his own into the air happily. Curt laughed and easily scooped up the small three year old before he took off towards the swings. Riker giggled manically and held onto Curt’s shirt tightly in his small fists. “We win, Lyss!”

“Well, Curty is a cheater,” Alyssa informed primly as she flopped down onto a swing. Riker shrugged and then settled onto the swing Curt placed him on.

“Hold on tight, baby brother,” Curt said as he gently touched Riker’s back. Riker nodded once and made sure to tighten his grip on the chains before Curt began to push him. Riker smiled and began to sing to himself while he kicked his feet back and forth. Alyssa bopped her head along to whatever tune Riker was singing and Curt snorted at his younger siblings’ antics.

“Curty, how come you not in school?” Riker asked suddenly as he continued to swing his legs back and forth.

“Because school is done for a while. It starts again in September. It’s only June,” Curt replied with a small laugh. “One day you will go to school too, just like me and Alyssa.”

“Yeah?” Riker asked as he looked back at Curt with excited eyes.

“Yeah,” Curt informed as he ruffled Riker’s hair briefly. Riker hummed happily and then scrunched his nose at Alyssa, who stuck her tongue out in response.

“Want off,” Riker chirped a few minutes later.

“Mkay,” Curt said as he latched onto the chains of the swing in order to stop it.

“Thank yooou!” Riker sang as he slid off of the swing and then wiggled his limbs out. Curt and Alyssa both snorted at him and Riker smiled at them before he started to make his way towards the slides.

“Careful, Biker boy!” Alyssa called out. Riker simply nodded as he skipped his way over towards the play set where a few kids were already playing. One of the girls smiled sweetly down at Riker, but then continued on whatever mission she was on. Riker smiled back and then skipped over to the stairs in order to clamber his way up them.

“Need help, buddy?” Curt asked.

“No!” Riker chirped in response as he pulled himself up the last stair and then looked over at Curt triumphantly. Curt smiled and shook his head fondly while Riker waved manically. Riker giggled to himself and then made his way over towards the slide, only to run into a small boy curled up there.

The boy turned quickly and squeaked as he looked at Riker with wide, startled eyes. Riker stopped, eyes widening as well as he took in the other boy. Riker tilted his head to the side then, still inspecting the other boy’s eyes.

“Jeffy, you okay?” a voice called out.

“Yes!” the boy squeaked in response even as he continued to inspect Riker as well. “Why you look at me like that?”

“Your eyes…” Riker breathed as he pointed vaguely.

“What…?” the boy asked, head tilting even more to the side.

“They pretty!” Riker finally chirped with a bright smile.

“Mommy say that. She say they the prettiest green,” the boy giggled.

“Green?” Riker asked. The boy hummed in agreement and then pointed at Riker.

“What your mommy say your eyes are?” the boy questioned with a slow blink.

“Mommy say they blue with a li’l grey, just like Daddy’s!” Riker proclaimed happily.

“Blue…” the boy breathed. Riker hummed and nodded once.

“And green. Your green very pretty,” Riker informed with a smug smile.

“Your blue very pretty!” the boy replied happily as he smiled back. Riker giggled happily and then looked away from the boy, only to stop short. The other boy watched Riker in confusion before following Riker’s gaze and stopping as well.

“Everything look different,” Riker breathed out in wonder. The other boy simply nodded, both of them looking around with interest.

“Ah! Gotcha, Jeffy!” a girl exclaimed as she popped up behind the boy and poked at his sides. Both Riker and the boy squealed and then looked over at her with wide eyes, causing her to giggle. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Not nice, Arya!” the boy proclaimed. Arya snorted and shrugged in response before she turned her attention to Riker.

“Hi! You must be what scared Jeff earlier. I’m his big sister, Arya,” she informed with a wide smile.

“I Riker,” Riker replied with a small smile of his own.

“Riker,” the boy breathed. “And Jeff!”

“Yeah!” Riker giggled as he scrunched his nose happily at Jeff.

“Hey, Rike, c’mon down, man. You been up there a while,” Curt chuckled as he appeared at the end of the slide. Riker’s smile immediately widened and he flung himself down the slide into Curt’s waiting arms.

“Curty! This is Jeff! He has pretty green eyes!” Riker informed excitedly as he bounced on Curt’s hip. Curt immediately quirked one eyebrow and looked up at Jeff, who was giggling to himself at the top of the slide before he slid down to tackle Arya.

“And Riker has pretty blue!” Jeff proclaimed.

“Yeah?” Curt asked hesitantly.

“Yeah,” Riker replied as he beamed up at his older brother. “And look! You gots blue eyes too, Curty!”

“Do I?” Curt asked as he looked over at Alyssa, who had sidled up and was eyeing Riker curiously. “And what does Alyssa have?”

Riker hummed and looked over at Alyssa, his brow furrowed together with concentration.

“I dunno. Kinda blue, kinda not,” Riker replied after a few seconds. Alyssa gave Riker a small smile and reached out to squeeze his hand briefly. “Other things look different now too! I don’t know what color they are yet.”

“You can ask Mom and Dad when we get home,” Curt replied as he looked around to where Jeff was babbling excitedly at his three siblings. Two of them looked slightly confused while the oldest was smiling down at the toddler with slight worry on her face. She looked up and made eye contact with Curt then and shrugged.

“We might need to inform all of our parents,” Arya said as she looked at Curt. “Ours should be home since we’re still moving in.”

“Ours are also home. Are you by chance the ones moving into the house on Elder Street?” Curt asked. Arya gave Curt a skeptical look as she nodded. Curt snorted and allowed Riker to squirm out of his arms. “We live right next door, c’mon.”

“We go home?” Riker asked from where he was now stationed next to Jeff.

“Yeah. We’re gonna go home and talk to Mom and Dad,” Curt replied. Riker squeaked happily and then latched onto Jeff’s hand to begin to lead them towards home. Jeff giggled and followed Riker easily, their hands swinging between them.

“Well, I’m Arya, by the way. These are Eliana and Blaine,” Arya informed as she indicated each of them.

“I’m Curt, this is Alyssa,” Curt replied, easily adjusting as Alyssa jumped onto his back with a giggle. “It seems as if we may be stuck with each other for a while.”

“ _A while_ , he says,” Alyssa scoffed. “With the amount of times Riker has Mommy and Daddy tell him about this stuff, I’m surprised he’s not freaking out more.”

“He’s _three_ , Lyss. His brain hasn’t processed it,” Curt replied.

“Your brother is also obsessed with hearing about the soul mate thing?” Blaine asked. Curt and Alyssa both snorted and nodded in agreement.

“At least they’re the same age,” Arya breathed out as she watched the two toddlers giggling together as they walked. “They won’t have to be separated in school.”

“Valid point,” Curt sighed.

“Mommy! Daaaaddy!” Riker sang out immediately as he ran up to the house.

“Yes, Rike Tike?” Ryan asked as he appeared in the doorway and looked down at his son’s beaming face.

“I met Jeffy today! He got pretty green eyes!” Riker proclaimed as he indicated at Jeff, who was giggling at Riker. Ryan’s eyes immediately widened and he looked over at his two older children, who both shrugged.

“Yeah?” Ryan asked as he reached out to ruffle Riker’s hair.

“Yah. And his hair is pretty too, Daddy,” Riker giggled.

“Hm. That’s good to hear, buddy,” Ryan said.

“What is?” Miri asked as she appeared behind Ryan, who looked up at his wife with a quirked eyebrow.

“Apparently this is Jeff and he has pretty _green_ eyes,” Ryan informed. Miri’s breath caught at the statement before she looked down at the small boy next to Riker, who indeed have green eyes that were sparkling happily. Riker simply giggled and latched onto Miri’s legs happily.

“He say he moving into the house next to us, too!” Riker informed.

“Yeah!” Jeff tacked on enthusiastically. “Then we can play lots!”

“Well, we have to make sure that is okay with your parents too, little man,” Ryan chuckled as Riker bumped past him to make his way back to Jeff’s side.

“I think Ana was getting them,” Jeff chirped happily as he and Riker plopped themselves onto the ground and began to kick at each other’s feet playfully.

“That she did. I’ve heard you had a big day at the park, love,” a woman crooned as she knelt down behind Jeff and ran her fingers through his hair. Jeff smiled and looked up at her with his nose scrunched up.

“Hi, Mommy. This is Riker. He has blue eyes,” Jeff informed primly as he went back to kicking at Riker’s feet as Riker giggled manically to himself.

“That he does, munchkin,” she agreed before she planted a kiss on the top of Jeff’s head and then looked over at Ryan and Miri as she stood up. “I’m Anne, by the way. My husband Jack is currently elbow deep in trying to set up beds for the children, or else he would be out here as well.”

“I’m Miri, and this is Ryan,” Miri hummed in response as Ryan straightened up next to her from where he had been crouched behind Riker.

“Seems like our boys have found something a little extra in their lives today,” Anne said as she looked down at where Riker and Jeff were now lying on their stomachs and inspecting the grass before them.

“That they have,” Ryan agreed. “I never expected this to happen so soon in his life.”

“I don’t think anyone ever thinks it will happen when their kid is this young,” Anne commented. “I don’t think they even fully understand what happened.”

“Oh, probably not, despite the fact that Riker has us tell him all about it almost every single night,” Miri laughed.

“Jeff is the same,” Anne snorted as they watched the two toddlers crawl across the grass in pursuit of some kind of bug. Alyssa snorted as she watched the two toddlers, and then squawked as Curt tackled her to the ground, drawing the attention of both Riker and Jeff.

“Curty gonna _wiiiiin_ ,” Riker jested as Alyssa scrabbled against her older brother while Curt cackled manically.

“Riker, stop encouraging your siblings to fight each other,” Ryan admonished. “And Curtis, for god sakes, stop randomly tackling your sister.”

“ _Never_!” Curt and Riker bugled at the same time. Jeff giggled next to Riker and then nudged Riker with his shoulder to pull Riker’s attention back to him.

“And you were worried about Jeff making friends,” Arya snorted as she walked up to Anne. Anne rolled her eyes with a smile and reached out to tap Arya’s nose.

“There is a difference between making a friend and meeting your soul mate, little princess,” Anne informed her daughter. “But for now, I think the two of them are okay just thinking they’re best friends. No need to clutter their tiny minds.”

“Agreed,” Miri and Ryan hummed as they watched Riker and Jeff poke at each other while laughing.

“God, they’re gonna be _unstoppable_ when they’re older,” Ryan breathed. Miri rolled her eyes and pat Ryan’s shoulder fondly.

“Don’t you dare freak out the two of them as they get older. They will need to figure it out on their own,” Miri chastised.

“Aw, hon, you’re no fun,” Ryan pouted as he bat his eyelids at Miri.

“You are disgusting,” Curt informed through a scoff as he and Alyssa brushed by their parents to walk into the house.

“It’s to keep you kids in line,” Ryan replied with a wide smile.

“God, and you wonder where Riker gets it from,” Curt sighed as he headed upstairs. Alyssa snorted in agreement and then smacked Curt on the shoulder as she ran passed him up the stairs. Ryan and Miri simply rolled their eyes and then turned back to watch Riker and Jeff discovering the world around them.

“This is going to be interesting,” Anne breathed out as Riker pulled some grass out of the ground and then held it up next to Jeff’s face while Jeff giggled. Miri and Ryan simply hummed in agreement as they watched Jeff point up at the sky, and then at Riker’s face.

“At least they both seem to see all the wonder in the world,” Miri hummed happily as she watched Riker make a face at Jeff, who giggled manically and reached out to poke at Riker’s cheeks.

“It can only go up from here,” Ryan breathed. Miri and Anne both made noises in agreement as they continued to watch the two three year olds poke and prod at each other even as they continued to explore the yard and call out every once in a while to ask about colors.

0~0~0~0~0~0

**Age 5**

“ _No_ , Jeffy! You gotta do it _purple_ ,” Riker insisted as he waved a purple crayon in front of Jeff’s face. Jeff scrunched up his nose and then stuck his tongue out at Riker.

“Don’t tell me what color _my_ dragon should be,” Jeff scoffed as he gently pushed Riker’s hand away from his face and then grabbed his blue crayon again. Riker sighed dramatically and flopped his arms out across the table.

“But then they won’t _match_ ,” Riker pouted as he blinked up at Jeff, who looked back down at his best friend skeptically.

“They don’t hafta match, Rikey,” Jeff finally informed primly. “I wanta blue dragon b’cause it’s my favorite color1.”

“Weirdo,” Riker giggled as he finally straightened up and turned back to his own coloring page. Jeff made another face at Riker, who ignored the other five year old in favor of coloring his dragon in with the purple crayon he had just been brandishing in Jeff’s face.

“Hello, toddles!” Curt chirped as he bounced into the room and ruffled Riker and Jeff’s hair. Riker simply snorted and ducked away from his brother’s hand while Jeff squawked and swat at Curt’s hand.

“We’re not toddlers anymore,” Jeff insisted as he glared up at Curt, who laughed and shrugged.

“You’ll always be the little toddles to me, Jeffry,” Curt added. Jeff made a face at Curt and then reached out to shove at Curt’s hip.

“You stink. Get away from me,” Jeff gagged.

“Aw, don’t like when I am all sweaty after practice?” Curt cackled as he got even closer to Jeff, who scrunched up his nose and shoved at Curt once again.

“It’s gross. Rikey stinks after practice too,” Jeff insisted as Curt continued to try and get more and more into Jeff’s personal space.

“Aaaw, Rike, didja hear that?” Curt asked.

“Yeah. And every time after practice,” Riker replied without looking up from his coloring. “Now leave us alone. Go take a shower.”

“So harsh, baby brother,” Curt gasped out as he clapped a hand to his chest in mock offence. Riker rolled his eyes and sent Curt a quick glare before turning back to his coloring page.

“Curt, leave the two little ones alone!” Ryan suddenly called out.

“Okay!” Curt exclaimed before he took off towards their dad’s office.

“Ah! Curtis! Not what I meant!” Ryan complained while Curt cackled loudly.

“Curtis, go bathe yourself!” Miri commanded as she walked into the house with Alyssa behind her. Alyssa giggled and bounced into the living room to smack kisses to the top of Riker and Jeff’s heads.

“Very nice colorings, boys,” she added as she dropped her backpack onto the ground.

“Thanks! My dragon is purple. Jeffy’s is blue,” Riker informed with a smile.

“Mmh. I will have to take your word for it,” Alyssa hummed as she ruffled her younger brother’s hair. Riker looked up at Alyssa with confusion then and she smiled down at him. “Remember you got them special eyes that you can see color with, buddy.”

“Oh yeah,” Riker breathed out in wonder before he shrugged and turned away from her.

“G’head into the kitchen to do your homework, Lyss. Dad is in his office if you need help,” Miri said as she walked into the living room and nudged Alyssa gently towards the kitchen. Alyssa simply hummed in acknowledgement and then grabbed her backpack to do as she was told. Miri smiled and then sat down on the floor across from Riker and Jeff.

“Hi, Mommy,” Riker chirped as he smiled up at her.

“Hi, Miri,” Jeff piped up as he smiled at Miri as well.

“How was your half day at home with Daddy?” Miri asked as she accepted finished colorings from both boys.

“It was good,” Riker replied as he and Jeff traded crayons easily. “He took us for chicken nuggets and then we came home and watched Arthur before nap.”

“Wow, Daddy certainly spoiled you today,” Miri giggled. Riker and Jeff simply hummed in agreement as they glanced at each other’s coloring pages and then wordlessly exchanged crayons again.

“It’s because we are Daddy’s favorites,” Riker added offhandedly.

“Ah, and what a bad thing it is for you to know that,” Miri hummed as she watched Riker and Jeff’s easy interactions as they colored together.

“Mommy,” Riker said as he looked up at Miri suddenly with a puzzled expression on his face.

“Yes, baby,” Miri replied as she gave him a small, reassuring smile.

“How come we aren’t learning the colors at school?” Riker asked with a confused expression. Jeff’s head shot up then too and he tilted his head in interest while they waited for Miri to answer. Miri sighed and shifted her position slightly on the floor.

“Most kids your age aren’t able to see color, baby boy,” Miri informed gently. “You have to meet your soul mate in order to see color, remember?”

“Yeah,” Riker and Jeff agreed with simultaneous nods that made Miri smile slightly.

“Well, you guys are _super_ special and are lucky enough to have met your soul mate. You guys can see lots of things the other kids can’t. It’s up to me, Daddy, Anne, and Jack to teach you guys your colors,” Miri told them. “It wouldn’t be fair to the other kids if your teacher took time out of her lessons to teach you guys colors when you’re the only ones in your class who can see them.”

“Oh,” Riker and Jeff both breathed out as they stared at Miri with wide eyes. Miri smiled at them and then reached over to tap both of their noses.

“Mhm. You guys are super lucky. Plus, you already know all your colors, so you don’t _need_ to learn about them in school,” Miri chirped. Riker and Jeff both nodded before they turned back to their colorings.

“Lyssa and Curty can’t see the colors either, right?” Riker asked as he absentmindedly pushed Jeff’s hand away as Jeff giggled and tried to mess Riker up.

“Nope. Not yet. Some day they will be able to, just like you,” Miri confirmed as she watched Jeff abandon his coloring in favor of sidling up to Riker and propping his chin on Riker’s shoulder. Riker huffed out a small laugh and tipped his head against Jeff’s.

“Tha’s you, and me,” Riker told Jeff as he indicated to two stick figures he drew on the page. “We’re the princes and we’re best friends with the dragon.”

“Good,” Jeff hummed happily as he cuddled into Riker’s side. Riker simply giggled and then turned in order to tackle Jeff to the floor. Jeff squealed and then burst into a fit of giggles as Riker latched onto him tightly and blew against Jeff’s cheeks.

“The Riker Monstah got ya!” Riker exclaimed over Jeff’s giggles.

“Riker Monster cheated!” Jeff replied as he attempted to dislodge Riker, who simply cackled and held on tighter to his best friend.

“And now I got you _both_!” Ryan bugled as he ran into the room and scooped both kids off of the floor. Riker and Jeff both squeaked and then laughed as Ryan stomped around the room with them before he dropped them both onto the couch.

“Again, Daddy!” Riker laughed out as he tumbled off of the couch while Jeff continued to laugh breathlessly on the couch.

“Oh, I don’t know, Rike Tike…” Ryan started.

“ _Daaaadddy_ ,” Riker drawled out as he thrust his hands up into the air. Ryan snorted and then picked Riker up and turned him upside down. Riker squealed happily and reached out to Jeff, who was giggling and waving his hands in Riker’s direction.

“Careful, please,” Miri requested, even as she watched them with a wide smile on her face.

“Oh, Mir, I am the most competent father,” Ryan deadpanned right as he pretended to drop Riker, who squawked out a laugh and scrabbled to hold onto Ryan’s legs.

“ _Daddy_!” Riker hiccupped out as he reached out towards Jeff again. Ryan simply chuckled and then dropped Riker onto the couch next to Jeff.

“I saveded you!” Jeff bugled as he wrapped himself around Riker, who was still hiccupping around his giggles.

“B’cause you’re the prince!” Riker chirped as he nuzzled into Jeff’s hold while Jeff giggled and nuzzled into Riker’s hair.

“The bestest one,” Jeff added.

“Yah. The bestest one _for me_ ,” Riker giggled. Jeff released a satisfied hum and scrunched up his nose happily before he smacked a kiss to Riker’s nose. Riker giggled and smacked his own kiss to Jeff’s cheek, making Jeff giggle as well. Ryan simply smiled and shook his head at the two boys as he walked over to stand next to Miri.

“I think these two are gonna give us a run for their money when they get older and actually realize what they are to each other,” Ryan whispered. Miri hummed in agreement and smiled fondly as they watched Riker and Jeff take turns smacking loud kisses to each other’s cheeks.

“To say the least,” Miri added. “Now c’mon. Let’s leave them to their own devices.”

“Aw, you’re no fun,” Ryan chuckled even as he followed Miri out of the room without Riker or Jeff even noticing.

0~0~0~0~0~0

**Age 14**

“Jeffry, you have your _own bed_ ,” Riker complained as he watched Jeff throw a blanket onto his own bed. Jeff simply looked over at Riker and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Your point?” Jeff asked back with a scoff. “We both know I’m likely to end up cuddling you in your bed anyway.”

“My point is that you’re going to _suffocate_ me with heat,” Riker replied as he dropped down onto his dorm bed and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. Jeff rolled his eyes and then grabbed the blanket in order to toss it over Riker, who squawked indignantly and attempted to shove the blanket off of himself.

“What have I done to deserve this?” Riker exclaimed while Jeff snorted out a laugh and then grabbed another blanket to throw on top of Riker. Riker wailed dramatically and then burst out from under the blankets in order to tackle Jeff to his bed. Jeff squealed and then giggled madly as Riker blew against his cheeks.

“Leave me be!” Jeff squealed as he pushed at Riker’s face.

“Aw, you know I can’t do that,” Riker laughed as he released Jeff and rolled over to flop out onto the bed. Jeff hummed in agreement and reached over to ruffle Riker’s hair.

“You’re lucky you’re my best friend and I love you,” Jeff informed with a small, fond smile. Riker smiled back and scrunched his nose up happily.

“Ditto, you butt,” Riker added. Jeff rolled his eyes and shoved Riker’s shoulder playfully before he shoved himself off of the bed.

“C’mon. We should finish putting our clothes away,” Jeff chirped as he dropped onto the floor next to his suitcase. Riker groaned and rolled over on Jeff’s bed in order to hide his face in Jeff’s pillow. Jeff rolled his eyes and flicked Riker’s foot before he turned his attention to his clothes. “I refuse to unpack for you, by the way. We are _living_ here for the next nine months. This is boarding school, not vacation. You can’t live out of your suitcase.”

“Are you _challenging_ me, good sir?” Riker asked as he peeked up at Jeff with a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eye. Jeff shot a glare in Riker’s direction, but otherwise ignored the comment.

“Have you seen Jamie, Lauren, or Joey yet?” Jeff questioned.

“Nah,” Riker replied through a yawn as he stretched his arms above his head. “I think Joey lives somewhere on this floor, though.”

“It’s not like it’s a big school,” Jeff snorted. “Do you know which dorm Carter, Katie, and Trish ended up in2?”

“I think Trish and Katie are downstairs. Carter may be a floor above us,” Riker replied as he rolled off of Jeff’s bed and then crawled over to his own suitcase and dresser. Jeff smiled smugly at Riker’s actions, which Riker chose to ignore.

“Do you know where Alyssa is at?” Jeff chirped as he tossed one of Riker’s shirts over at him. Riker simply shrugged and easily caught the shirt before tossing Jeff a pair of his pants.

“I just know she’s in the upperclassmen dorms,” Riker added as he caught a pair of shorts that Jeff threw at him. Jeff hummed and then slid Riker’s speaker over towards the beds. “What about Eliana and Blaine?”

“Blaine is somewhere upstairs somewhere. Eliana is downstairs,” Jeff yawned out as he caught another pair of pants Riker threw at him.

“What are the two of you even doing?” Katie asked as she suddenly appeared in the doorway of their dorm room.

“What do you mean?” Jeff asked in response even as he caught a pair of boxers Riker threw at him3. Katie raised an eyebrow at the action and indicated as such.

“You’re throwing clothes back and forth,” Katie deadpanned.

“They’re his clothes,” Riker told her with a shrug. “They just somehow ended up in my suitcase.”

“Yep,” Jeff agreed as he pushed an empty suitcase away in order to grab the next.

“You two constantly baffle me,” Katie breathed as she walked into their room and then dropped down onto Riker’s bed. Riker and Jeff simply shrugged as they continued to unpack, tossing items of clothing at each other every once in a while.

“What’s your roommate like so far?” Jeff asked as he glanced over at Katie. She shrugged and shifted slightly on the bed in order to lie on her side.

“Her name is Alex. I’m not sure how I feel about her, yet,” Katie replied. “I mean, she seems chill enough, but you never know. We all weren’t lucky enough to get to _choose_ our roommates.”

“ _Please_ , like you would _choose_ to live with Trish,” Riker snorted as he looked over at Katie with a smirk. Katie smiled and rolled her eyes before she flipped Riker off.

“Beside the point, Riker Samuel,” she replied. Riker shrugged and then caught the shirt Jeff threw at his head.

“Warning, asshole,” Riker hissed out.

“Incoming,” Jeff replied with a self satisfied grin. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he flicked off Jeff and then turned back to his dresser. Katie snorted out a laugh at Riker and Jeff and then rolled back onto her back.

“You’re both ridiculous,” she informed.

“We know,” they chirped in unison as they continued to unpack.

“God, the two of you are so damn synchronized that it’s freaky,” Carter breathed out as he appeared in the doorway. Riker and Jeff simply shrugged, but otherwise ignored Carter. Katie waved over at her cousin, but didn’t move from Riker’s bed.

“What’s up, man?” Riker asked as he finally looked up at Carter, who was standing there with a slightly confused expression on his face.

“I think I met my soul mate at some point today,” Carter breathed out.

“ _What_? Why didn’t you _lead_ with that?” Katie squawked as she sat up and stared over at Carter with wide eyes. “ _Who_?”

“I don’t know!” Carter exclaimed as he waved his hands around. “Do you know how many people I’ve met today?”

“Well, can you see colors now?” Jeff asked as he looked up at Carter, who rolled his eyes exaggeratedly at Jeff.

“Pretty sure, yeah,” Carter deadpanned.

“You said _you_ _think_ , not _you know_ ,” Jeff chided with one quirked eyebrow.

“Don’t be so literal, Jeffry,” Riker admonished as he threw a shirt at Jeff’s head. Jeff snorted and caught the shirt easily to fold and place into his drawer. “But, like, can you tell that the walls are a terrible cream color now?”

“I guess. I don’t know what colors look like, man,” Carter scoffed. “Like, I know the sky is supposedly blue and grass is green, but have I ever seen it? No.”

“Well, welcome to the world of color, Carter,” Jeff breathed as he shoved up from the floor and then gestured wildly. “The walls are a terrible cream and your hair is dirty blonde.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Carter said as he walked over to plop down onto Riker’s bed next to Katie.

“How long have you guys been able to see color, anyway?” Katie asked as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Riker and Jeff exchanged a look and then shrugged simultaneously.

“No idea, to be honest. I don’t really remember life without color,” Riker answered as he shoved his empty suitcase into the closet before he stood up.

“Pretty much,” Jeff agreed. “We just grew up knowing color. Our poor kindergarten and first grade teachers got a lot of questions.”

“Our poor _parents_ ,” Riker snorted as he gave Jeff a look.

“Not to mention our siblings,” Jeff laughed. Riker nodded in agreement and then crawled onto Jeff’s bed. Jeff hummed happily and crawled on next to Riker in order to press against Riker’s side.

“What are colors like?” Katie asked as she propped her chin on her knees.

“I feel like that’s more of a question for Carter since he’s the one experiencing them for the first time right now,” Riker told her with a small shrug. “To me they’re normal. Mom said when I first started to see them it was all I could talk about, though.”

“Mhm,” Jeff hummed in agreement as he dropped his head onto Riker’s shoulder. Katie and Carter inspected their two friends and then looked at each other briefly.

“Have you two ever thought that maybe you’re _each other’s_ soul mate?” Carter finally voiced as he looked at Riker and Jeff with raised eyebrows. Riker and Jeff simply stared back, then looked at each other, and then snorted.

“Carter, as you know, I am gay. Riker is not,” Jeff scoffed.

“Jeffry, as you know, platonic soul mates exist4,” Katie mocked back as she made a face at Jeff, who did the same in response.

“Like, you both don’t remember life without color, but you also met when you were _three_. If it was when you met, how _would_ you remember life without color?” Carter proposed as he gave his friends a small, smug smile.

“Exactly. Three is really young,” Katie pointed out as she tilted her head to the side slightly. “Like, you don’t remember it really, but at least you might know _who_ it is, unlike Carter.”

“You know what, Katheryn!” Carter exclaimed as he turned to punch his cousin’s arm while she cackled manically. “We’ve met a lot of people today, okay? How am I supposed to take notice of _one_ person?”

“Maybe because they made it so you saw color?” Katie asked through her laughter. “Like, how much you wanna bet that when you finally figure it out, this person knew it was you all along?”

“You’re terrible. I hate you. I’m telling your mom,” Carter grumbled out while Katie continued to laugh next to him.

“The maturity level is peaked in this room, apparently,” Alyssa sighed as she breezed into the room.

“ _Alyssa_!” Katie exclaimed as she threw her arms open. “Please, enlighten us! Do you think Riker and Jeff are soul mates?”

“What brought this on?” Alyssa asked instead as she looked between the four younger teens.

“Carter apparently met his soul mate today and Katie asked what it was like to see colors,” Riker informed his older sister with a shrug. “We told her to ask Carter since we’ve both always known life with color.”

“Yeah. Then they took it as we were too young to remember meeting so we’re probably each other’s platonic soul mates or something,” Jeff added in a bored voice as he shrugged. Alyssa hummed thoughtfully and then turned to smirk over at Carter.

“So you met your soul mate, huh?” Alyssa asked.

“I would guess so since I don’t see things in grayscale anymore,” Carter replied.

“He doesn’t even know who it is,” Katie giggled as she reached out to pinch Carter’s cheek. Carter grunted stubbornly and slapped Katie’s hand while she continued to laugh.

“If some of my friends are anything to go off of, you will figure it out soon enough,” Alyssa said as she dropped down onto Jeff’s bed with him and Riker.

“Have you met yours?” Carter asked. Alyssa scrunched her nose slightly and shook her head.

“No, thank god,” she breathed out. “I would not want to be the soul mate of any of the guys I have gone to school with here.”

“Harsh words coming from the girl who dated the same guy for nearly a year,” Riker chuckled as he smirked over at Alyssa. Alyssa simply made a face at her younger brother and then reached around Jeff in order to shove at Riker’s head. Jeff made an indignant noise at being jostled and then shifted Riker around so he was a bit more out of Alyssa’s reach.

“People can date someone without that person being their soul mate, asshole,” Alyssa hissed out. Riker shrugged and happily curled into Jeff’s chest. “You saying you’re not gonna date until you figure yours out?”

“Yeah! We strayed away from the original subject! You and Jeffry! Soul mates!” Katie exclaimed with an excited glint in her eyes.

“You all have no evidence,” Riker countered while Jeff rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

“How long until they let this go?” Jeff asked quietly.

“Probably never, knowing your friends,” Alyssa informed with a snort before she looked over at Katie and winked. Katie broke into a wide smile and slapped at her knees happily. Carter shook his head at both Alyssa and Katie before he looked over at Riker and Jeff.

“You know what Alyssa says is true, though. Katie isn’t going to let it go. Trish probably won’t either, and you know Katie is going to tell her,” Carter said.

“Ugh, I know,” Riker groaned out while Jeff heaved out another sigh.

“We have the worst friends,” Jeff breathed.

“Or the _best_ ,” Alyssa laughed as she reached out to ruffle Riker and Jeff’s hair. Jeff hissed at Alyssa then and slapped at her hands. Alyssa laughed even harder and then leaned over to pull Jeff into a rough hug. “Accept the hair ruffling, young one. I’ve known you too long to not do it.”

“Let your old habits _die_ , you _demon_ ,” Jeff grumbled stubbornly.

“Never,” Alyssa replied primly as she darted forward to press a kiss to the tip of Jeff’s nose. Jeff made an indignant noise and shoved at Alyssa lightly while Riker smiled at them.

“Your efforts are so half-hearted, Jeffry,” Riker informed.

“Hush you,” Jeff chastised as he turned to slap a hand across Riker’s mouth. Riker laughed behind Jeff’s hand and then licked at Jeff’s palm. Jeff made a disgusted face, but refused to move his hand. Riker began to nip at Jeff’s palm then, but Jeff’s hand still remained. Alyssa rolled her eyes at their antics and then smiled before she pat their cheeks and got up.

“You may not believe you’re soul mates on some level, but you sure act like it5,” she chirped at them before she flounced out of the room. Carter and Katie both snorted while Riker and Jeff simply stared after her.

“C’mon. Let’s go get food to shake off the disaster that is Alyssa Castellan,” Carter chuckled as he pushed up from Riker’s bed. Katie made an interested noise and followed after Carter, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Riker and Jeff.

“Le’ggo, buddy boys!” Katie chirped as she smiled at them. Riker and Jeff both smiled and rolled their eyes before they got up to follow after their two friends.

As they walked, Jeff bumped his shoulder into Riker’s gently. Riker smiled and did the same in response, silently reaching out to twine their pinkies together as they walked.

000000

“You’re so lame,” Alyssa breathed out a few weeks later as she dropped onto Riker’s bed next to him. Riker made a small noise and glanced up from his homework to look at Alyssa.

“What do you mean?” he asked as he turned back to his homework. Alyssa scoffed and snatched Riker’s homework away from him. Riker made a stubborn noise and tried to reach for it, but Alyssa tossed it over onto Jeff’s bed and then tackled Riker to the bed.

“You could join Midnight Swallows with me and your few friends, but _noooo_ , instead you stay holed up in your room and do _homework_ ,” Alyssa informed him.

“Jamie isn’t part of Swallows either,” Riker countered as he struggled to push Alyssa off of himself.

“So? She does other extracurricular activities,” Alyssa said.

“I play soccer,” Riker protested. Alyssa snorted and cuffed Riker on the back of the head.

“You’ve been playing soccer since you were, like, four,” Alyssa snorted as she hugged Riker tightly to her chest.

“Still something I do outside of class,” Riker said petulantly as he went limp in Alyssa’s arms.

“Okay, but you could also do Swallows. You’re talented,” Alyssa chirped as she squished Riker’s cheeks together. Riker rolled his eyes and shoved at Alyssa’s hands.

“I have no real reason to,” Riker told her.

“You do it because it’s fun and you can make friends and spend more time with Jeffry…” Alyssa started listing. Riker rolled his eyes again and shoved at Alyssa once more.

“Don’t I already spend enough time with Jeffry?” Riker asked.

“ _Please_ , you two are ridiculous. Your friends aren’t insane when they tell you that you act like soul mates,” Alyssa laughed.

“God, _shut up_ ,” Riker whined as he wormed his way out from beneath Alyssa while she laughed.

“You do! You’re always around each other, okay? Your complicated interactions are, like, secondhand thoughts. You guys barely even think about it,” Alyssa chirped. Riker rolled his eyes dramatically and rolled off of his bed in order to crawl over to Jeff’s and retrieve his homework.

“Whatever, Lyss,” Riker breathed out as he grabbed his pens to start doing his homework on the floor since Alyssa was still on his bed.

“I wouldn’t tell you this shit if there wasn’t a basis to it, baby bro,” Alyssa informed. “Like, I don’t exist _just_ to make your life difficult. I’m just letting you know that it is a possibility. It _could_ be just platonic, but you guys never talk about it so you will never know.”

“Oh, shush your mouth,” Riker grumbled at her as he continued to look down at his homework. Alyssa hummed and then reached out to ruffle Riker’s hair.

“It makes sense, okay? Just think about it and maybe talk it out with the Jeff man,” Alyssa chuffed out. Riker rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his sister.

“Why you have suddenly decided to harp on me if beyond me. I’ve been able to see color for as long as I can remember. Where was all this bugging years ago?” Riker asked as he quickly worked out a math problem.

“All those years you weren’t exactly mentally equipped to understand what it all meant,” Alyssa informed with a small snort. Riker looked up at his sister with a skeptical expression and then turned back to his homework.

“Alyssa, I’ve been able to comprehend this shit for years. That was a _shit_ excuse,” Riker told her. Alyssa groaned and flopped her limbs out so they dangled off of Riker’s bed.

“You’re so freakin’ difficult. This is why you’re the youngest,” she sighed.

“You’re the difficult one and you know it,” Riker countered easily as he shot Alyssa a small smile. Alyssa snorted and shrugged her shoulders before she reached out to pull lightly on one of Riker’s ears.

“I know my excuse was shit, but you should still talk it out with Jeff. You guys will never know unless you discuss it,” Alyssa hummed. Riker made a small noise in acknowledgement and shifted his position on the floor in order to get more comfortable. “C’mon. I know Jeff is the one you talk to the most. You’ve been really closed off with everyone _but_ him since Dad died 6. That says something to me. Talk it out with Mom or Elizabeth if you have to before you talk to Jeff, but you still should.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up,” Riker grumbled as he swat at Alyssa’s hand that had started to play with his hair.

“I bug because _I looooove yoooou_ ,” Alyssa sang as she ruffled Riker’s hair one more time before she rolled off of his bed.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night,” Riker snorted as he quirked an eyebrow at his older sister. Alyssa giggled and leaned over to smack a kiss to Riker’s forehead before she pushed herself up from the floor.

“Just talk to Jeffry, Biker Boy,” Alyssa chirped as she skipped out of the room with a flourish.

“God, stop calling me that!” Riker called out after her.

“Never!” Alyssa replied with a laugh as she continued to move down the hallway.

“What was the she-devil looking so chipper about?” Blaine asked as he and Jeff walked into the room.

“She was being obnoxious,” Riker replied as he smiled up at Jeff, who walked over to tug at Riker’s hair before he dropped onto his bed.

“That wasn’t her _I’m being a piece of shit for the sake of it_ face, though,” Blaine countered as he sat down at Riker’s desk. Riker simply shrugged one shoulder and then crawled onto Jeff’s bed when Jeff indicated for him to do so.

“It says a lot that you know she has a specific expression for that,” Riker laughed as he allowed Jeff to curl around him.

“I mean, I’ve known her for eleven years…” Blaine breathed.

“You have a valid point,” Jeff yawned as he got comfortable with his head in Riker’s lap.

“You know, I was working on homework before you so rudely interrupted,” Riker informed as he looked down at Jeff, who looked back with a sarcastic expression.

“It’s your fault I am so tactile. Deal with it,” Jeff retorted before he turned to look over at Blaine. “So, any ideas on what to prepare for next practice?”

“Nope. Someone from the senior class will probably have something that we’ll use, though,” Blaine yawned as he leaned back in the chair. “Probably Johanna.”

“Sounds about right,” Jeff agreed as he settled back against Riker, who snorted to himself and began to run his fingers through Jeff’s hair. Jeff hummed happily and leaned back into the touch while Blaine smiled and rolled his eyes at them.

“The two of you are ridiculous,” Blaine informed.

“Mmh, we know,” Jeff breathed out. Riker simply shrugged and continued to run his fingers through Jeff’s hair.

“We’ve also barely known life without each other,” Riker added as he shifted Jeff’s weight slightly in his lap so his legs wouldn’t fall asleep. Jeff made a stubborn noise, but then easily settled back into Riker.

“He makes a good point,” Jeff hummed as he cracked one eye open to peek over at his brother. Blaine smiled and rolled his eyes before he shoved up from the chair he was on.

“Well, I’m going to leave you two _non_ -love birds alone and go get some homework done,” Blaine chirped as he stretched his arms above his head and then grabbed his backpack.

“Shut up and get out of here, you menace,” Jeff hissed as he reached out to smack Blaine’s leg. Blaine barked out a laugh and then darted out of Riker and Jeff’s room with a wave thrown over his shoulder.

“C’mon. Ignore your annoying brother and we’ll watch some cartoons,” Riker said as he nudged at Jeff.

“Mmh, you know me so well,” Jeff hummed as he smiled up at Riker and then got up so Riker could move off of the bed.

“I would hope so,” Riker chuckled as he grabbed his laptop to set up at the foot of Jeff’s bed. Jeff simply giggled and then scoot over on his bed to make room for Riker.

“And don’t forget to take your meds, because I know you probably haven’t yet today,” Jeff added as he shot Riker an innocent smile. Riker rolled his eyes, but walked into the bathroom to obey before he joined Jeff on the bed.  “Atta boy.”

“I’m not a dog, Jeffry Alexander,” Riker grumbled as he dodged Jeff’s hand that attempted to pat his cheek. Jeff simply shrugged and then grabbed Riker’s laptop in order to choose a show to watch. Riker smiled to himself as he watched Jeff muse over shows and then curled into Jeff’s side while he thought about what Alyssa had said earlier.

000000

Riker woke up a few days later curled tightly into Jeff’s side. Jeff’s fingers were threaded through Riker’s hair, despite the fact that he was asleep. Riker peeked up at Jeff and smiled slightly as he watched Jeff’s eyes moving beneath their lids. Riker sighed heavily then and scratched at the scabs on his wrists before trying to extract himself from Jeff’s hold.

As Riker began to move, Jeff made a small, stubborn noise and tightened his grip on Riker. Riker smiled to himself again and pat Jeff’s stomach before gently moving out of Jeff’s grip. Jeff made another stubborn noise, but then settled back into his bed as his furrowed brow relaxed. Riker smiled as he observed Jeff and then walked into the bathroom in order to shower and brush his teeth.

“Rike?” Jeff called out sleepily a few minutes later.

“Yeah?” Riker replied as he poked his head out of the bathroom to see Jeff looking around their room with sleepy confusion. Jeff’s eyes settled on Riker and immediately gave Riker a small, sleepy smile.

“I woke up and thought you’d run off to do something stupid again,” Jeff yawned as he stretched his arms above his head. “But you were only showering away your stinky-ness.”

“You’re no ripe peach either,” Riker replied as he toweled his hair off and then walked back into the bedroom.

“I also don’t give you as much of a reason to worry,” Jeff hummed. “How’re you feeling, by the way?”

“Better than last night,” Riker informed quietly with a shrug.

“Good,” Jeff said as he rolled onto his stomach to get more comfortable and hug one of his pillows to his chest. Riker simply hummed and then crawled into his bed in order to look over at Jeff. Jeff was oblivious and nuzzled into his pillow sleepily before he released a long, content sigh. Riker smiled to himself and then wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

“Jeff,” Riker asked a few minutes later. Jeff hummed in response, face still buried in his pillows. “Did you ever think that maybe we _are_ each other’s soul mates?”

Jeff cracked an eye open then and looked over at Riker with one eyebrow raised. Riker looked back at Jeff with a nervous expression and Jeff’s expression softened before he held out a hand to Riker and wiggled his fingers. Riker smiled nervously, but accepted the invitation anyway and got up in order to join Jeff on the other bed. Jeff immediately pulled Riker in to cuddle and then pat Riker’s cheek affectionately.

“Stop looking so nervous,” Jeff informed. “It’s not a stupid question, so get that out of your head.”

“You don’t know that’s what I was thinking,” Riker protested. Jeff gave Riker a deadpan look and then shifted Riker around to place Riker’s ear above his heart.

“I know you well enough to know you were thinking along those lines. I’ve been there for all of your breakdowns. I _know_ ,” Jeff countered. “But, aside from that, _of course_ I’ve thought about it.”

“Yeah?” Riker asked quietly as he listened to Jeff’s steady heartbeat.

“I mean, duh. I haven’t known my life without you, Rike. Consequently, I’ve also never known life without color,” Jeff whispered. “I’m also pretty sure you’re the most important person in my life. Sometimes I think I know you better than my know myself, and that you also know me better than myself. That’s a pretty big thing, dude.”

“You have solid point,” Riker snorted out. Jeff huffed out a laugh and poked Riker’s side in order to pull a small laugh from Riker.

“I also come around to the point that I’m into dudes and you aren’t, though,” Jeff informed. “And then I remember that _platonic_ soul mates exist. I’m pretty sure that’s what we are.”

“You think?” Riker asked as he peeked up at Jeff, who looked back down at Riker with a small, fond smile.

“Yeah, I do. I don’t think I would want anyone else as my soul mate either. You’re a pretty good person to be stuck with for the rest of my life, no matter which way it is,” Jeff reassured. Riker snorted and then buried his face in Jeff’s chest. Jeff huffed out his own laugh and ruffled Riker’s hair lightly.

“I can’t think of anyone better, either,” Riker finally breathed out.

“Oh goodie,” Jeff giggled. Riker snorted out a laugh then and rolled over onto Jeff to hug Jeff tightly. Jeff giggled manically and hugged Riker tightly. “You’re my best friend and I love you.”

“You’re my best friend and I love you too,” Riker assured as he buried his face in Jeff’s neck while Jeff continued to giggle.

“C’mon. Let me up so I can go shower so we can go get breakfast, you heathen,” Jeff chirped as he slapped at Riker’s shoulder lightly. Riker hummed and easily rolled off of Jeff, who got up and slapped Riker’s leg playfully as he headed towards the bathroom. Riker just smiled and watched Jeff move around the room, reassured for now that he was settled in life with his best friend as his soul mate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Jeff's favorite color is blue because he is five and Riker's eyes are blue. The two are ridiculous from the start. Sue me  
> 2) Joey, Jamie, and Lauren are involved in this group that he knows before school because they are all on a TV show together, and they all met before their freshman year started. Jeff, as well as their two friends who do not attend the same HS, Dylan, and Grant, are also on the show with them  
> 3) Riker and Jeff are literally so in sync that half the time they do not notice they are doing certain things until someone points it out to them, such as tossing laundry back and forth easily or swapping crayons when they were younger. They've known each other for so long that it is literally second nature to them at this point  
> 4) A MENTION OF PLATONIC SOUL MATES. Don't worry, there is a lot more on this subject later on, in regards to both Riker and one of his kids :)  
> 5) Alyssa purposely stays vague when talking to Riker about soul mate things. When Riker and Jeff first met, their parents made all of the siblings promise to not get too involved with what was going on. The parents wanted Riker and Jeff to work it out on their own (even if it made Ryan absolutely DIE on the inside. He was very enthusiastic about his boys)  
> 6) Let's take a minute for me to 'splain the Ryan Castellan situation. Warning: this is grim and mentions depression/self harm. SO, when Riker is 12 (not long after Jeff comes out as gay), Ryan is shot and killed. Riker does not witness the actual shooting, but he does witness his father's death. This obviously leads to a lot of issues. Riker ends up having major sleeping issues-nightmares every night that wake him up in such a state that he usually ends up vomiting-and Jeff and Miri are typically the only ones who can calm him down. Riker and Jeff share a room from age 12 on, and is why Riker and Jeff were guaranteed to share a dorm their freshman year of high school. Additionally, Riker has PTSD as well as depression, all majorly fueled by witnessing his father's death. He self harms for about three years, and then forces himself to stop when he accidentally cuts too deep at age 15. He slips up a few times throughout the years, but it is never consistent again. In the main story, Jeff and Miri are the only ones to know about any of this until Riker's senior year of high school when he has a major relapse. HOWEVER, in this verse, Riker's siblings, as well as Joey know. Joey does not know all the specifics, but he knows enough to support his friend when needed.
> 
> THAT IS ALL FOR NOW


	2. Part Two

**Age 17**

“I swear, if the two of you don’t _leave me alone_ …” Alyssa hissed out as she stomped away from her brothers moodily while they laughed behind her.

“Aw, you’re just butt hurt that you still see in grayscale,” Curt crooned as he skipped after Alyssa, who flipped her hair over her shoulder and then glared back at Curt.

“I don’t care about it. I care that you’re being an asshole about it,” Alyssa countered. “I’m not even excited for you like I was for Riker.”

“Okay, that hardly counts since Riker was an adorable three year old when he met Jeff,” Curt deadpanned.

“Hey now, don’t go dragging me like that,” Riker protested as he walked up between his older siblings and shoved at Curt’s shoulder. “Jeffry and I do _not_ deserve to get dragged like that. Also, our relationship is very different than yours and Maya’s. We’re not disgustingly _in looove_.”

“Oh, shut your face,” Curt chuckled as he pulled Riker into a headlock and ruffled Riker’s hair roughly. Riker squawked indignantly and then wormed his way out of Curt’s hold.

“He’s got a point, though,” Alyssa informed primly. “He’s not _obnoxious_ about the fact that he has his soul mate. Sure, he and Jeff are ridiculously adorable sometimes, but they’re not _obnoxious_.”

“What now?” Jeff asked as he walked into the house. Riker immediately smiled and pulled Jeff into a tight hug while Jeff giggled.

“Curtis has met his soul mate and is being super annoying about it. He was trying to drag you and Riker through the mud,” Alyssa told Jeff with a roll of her eyes. “The two don’t compare.”

“You met your soul mate?” Jeff exclaimed as he looked over at Curt with wide, excited eyes. Curt smiled and nodded once before Jeff tackled Curt to hug him. “That’s so exciting! What’s she like?”

“She’s wonderful. She’s got eyes like molten chocolate,” Curt sighed out happily. Riker and Alyssa both groaned and rolled their eyes while Jeff snorted out a laugh.

“Okay, if he’s been going on like that, I can understand why you have been calling him annoying,” Jeff added as he looked over at Alyssa, who nodded once.

“It’s been like this since he got home. I think he’s just peeved because Dad isn’t around to fawn over him like he was for you and Riker,” Alyssa chirped. Riker rolled his eyes while Curt made a face at Alyssa and then pulled her into a headlock.

“Just you wait until you meet _your_ soul mate,” Curt grumbled.

“I will make sure I don’t act like a preteen girl when I do. You’ve already filled those shoes,” Alyssa giggled as she pulled out of Curt’s hold and then darted towards the back of the house. Curt made an offended noise and then followed after Alyssa stubbornly. Riker and Jeff exchanged sarcastic glances and then snorted.

“Have I ever told you that I am extremely happy that you’re my soul mate?” Riker asked as he started back towards the backyard. Jeff hummed and followed after Riker easily.

“At least once a week, Rikey,” Jeff added.

“Don’t get cocky about it, man,” Riker chuckled as he looked back at Jeff with a fond smile. Jeff smiled widely back and reached out to poke at Riker’s cheeks.

“I mean, I like cock so….” Jeff breathed out with a one shouldered shrug.

“Don’t I know it,” Riker laughed as he shoved at Jeff’s shoulder lightly and then jumped off of the deck to walk around to the side of the house. “I saw every time Sean tried to get at your dick last year.”

“Ugh, please don’t talk about him,” Jeff groaned as he dropped down to sit on the deck and bury his face in his hands.

“Well, you bring up Natalie constantly and I don’t like that,” Riker replied easily as he shot Jeff a sarcastic look.

“That’s because she was the _literal_ spawn of Satan, Riker. You _dated_ and _fornicated_ with the _spawn of Satan_ ,” Jeff hissed out. Riker gave Jeff a deadpan expression and then grabbed grass to throw at Jeff, who squawked and swat uselessly at the blades of grass.

“I didn’t _fornicate_ with her, Jesus,” Riker breathed out. “Stop making me sound like a sexual deviant when I haven’t even had sex.”

“Excuse, but how have you _not_ had sex?” Jeff squawked as he looked at Riker with wide eyes. Riker quirked an eyebrow at Jeff and then turned around to attach the sprinkler to the hose.

“Same way you haven’t, asshole,” Riker informed as he straightened up and took his shirt off.

“Okay, but I don’t _look_ like _you_ ,” Jeff scoffed as he eyed Riker’s newly exposed abdomen. Riker rolled his eyes and threw his shirt at Jeff’s head while Jeff giggled to himself. “Like, if I was Natalie-which I’m not because I’m _not_ the spawn of Satan-I would have been _all up_ on that.”

“Well, thanks for the weird ego boost, but I never said she didn’t _try_. She just didn’t _succeed_ ,” Riker said as he stretched his arms over his head in order to crack his back. “I went just as far with Selena last week as I ever did with Natalie.”

“You let Satan’s daughter suck your dick?” Jeff gasped as he ignored the annoyance flowing through his system at the mention of Selena. “How did you know she wasn’t going to suck your soul out through your peen?”

“Peen? Really?” Riker questioned through a snort. “That’s what you went with?”

“Yes,” Jeff chirped with a self satisfied smirk.

“Well, on that level, how did you know the same of Sean?” Riker retorted.

“Sean was a demon, not the spawn of Satan himself,” Jeff scoffed with a wave of his hand.

“Demons also suck souls out, Jeffry,” Riker deadpanned as he turned on the sprinkler and then pointed it at Jeff, who screeched and then darted away from the jet of water while Riker cackled loudly.

“Get it right. Sean was a _failure_ of a _sex_ demon. Sex demons need orgasms for energy,” Jeff said as he settled back down onto the deck while Riker began to dance by himself beneath the spray of the sprinkler. Riker barked out a laugh and then looked over at Jeff with raised eyebrows.

“Are you saying your boyfriend couldn’t get you off?” Riker teased. “Because if that was the case, how did you not boss him around about it? You’re a bossy pants.”

“Only for you, bestie,” Jeff crooned as he bat his eyelids at Riker.

“That’s a _lie_ and you know it,” Riker replied with a fond roll of his eyes. Jeff laughed to himself and then leaned back on his palms to watch Riker dance.

“So, are you just gonna dance in water and look pretty all day, or do we have other plans?” Jeff asked.

“I mean, Lily said she might drop by, but you can also _join me_ ,” Riker informed as he smirked over at Jeff.

“Oh, no. I would much rather be a bystander,” Jeff chirped.

“You’re the creepiest creep I know,” Riker chirped as he jumped to the opposite side of the sprinkler so he could slap water in Jeff’s direction. Jeff hissed loudly at Riker and then stuck his tongue out at the other teen. Riker snorted out a laugh and then skipped over in order to shake water from his hands onto Jeff’s head.

“You’re the worst and I can’t believe I’m stuck with you,” Jeff whined as he slapped at Riker’s stomach.

“Don’t tell lies, you love me,” Riker chuckled as he shoved away from Jeff to go back to his dancing. Jeff simply shrugged and cupped his chin in his hands as he watched Riker.

“I’m glad you found an outlet in dancing,” Jeff breathed out. Riker simply hummed in response and shot Jeff a quick smile. “You’re extremely talented, Rikey.”

“Thanks, Jeffy,” Riker replied as he made a face at Jeff quickly before he went back to dancing. Jeff simply hummed and continued to watch Riker, eyes drawn towards the water droplets rolling down Riker’s chest and stomach. Jeff sighed to himself as he observed, brain moving a mile a minute as he thought. Riker looked over at Jeff and shot him a blinding smile, which Jeff returned.

“ _I have arriiiived_!” Lily suddenly sang as she bounced into the backyard with her hands in the air.

“Lily! Dance with me!” Riker exclaimed happily as he latched onto her hands in order to drag her into the water with him. Lily giggled manically and followed Riker easily, face turned upwards towards the spray. Riker laughed and did the same before they both began to dance beneath the spray together, easily moving and dodging around each other.

“Sing a song,” Lily requested as she and Riker continued to move through the sprinkler. Riker paused for a second as he thought, and then smiled over at Jeff.

“Testing, testing, I’m just suggesting, you and I might not be the best thing…7” Riker began as he dramatically gestured towards Jeff, who smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I’m not singing with you right now, weirdo,” Jeff proclaimed. Riker simply rolled his eyes and continued to sing. Jeff smiled to himself and watched as Lily and Riker went back to dancing in the sprinkler while Riker belted out [Haven’t Had Enough](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c5XkGbEQiE).

Jeff watched Riker carefully, his heart clenching as he watched Riker be the most carefree he had been since they were twelve. Riker would smile over at Jeff every once in a while and flick water at Jeff, who smiled back and rolled his eyes. Riker smiled while he sang and danced over towards Jeff briefly. Jeff just smiled up at his friend, heart constricting happily. Riker spun around Jeff once more before he ruffled Jeff’s hair and then danced back over to Lily.

Jeff quickly became overwhelmed by his own thoughts as he watched Riker, heart beating wildly in his chest. Riker seemed oblivious to Jeff’s minor panic as he danced and sang with Lily, water spraying around him.

“Testing, testing, I’m just suggesting, you and I just might be the best thiiiing,” Riker finished as he smiled over at Jeff blindingly, a happy glint in his eyes. Jeff simply smiled back, heart beating rapidly in his chest as he realized that Riker was _not_ his platonic soul mate. Riker remained oblivious, though, and bounced over to drop down next to Jeff in order to hug Jeff and kiss his cheek messily.

Jeff accepted the hug and kiss easily and tipped his head against Riker’s, even as he panicked on the inside.

“Love you,” Riker whispered with a small laugh.

“Love you too,” Jeff whispered back, just barely containing the quiver in his voice. Riker hummed happily and then bounded back over to Lily when she called out to him. Jeff watched Riker go, heart calming down slightly as he decided to keep his realization to himself.

000000

“So, when do you guys have to go to set next?” Carter asked as he dropped down onto the ground next to Riker and Joey a few weeks later.

“Next week,” Joey replied as he and Riker watched the new students on the soccer team try and keep up with George.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Riker complained as they watched George cackle and easily maneuver around another player. Joey rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder into Riker’s while Carter gave Riker a confused look. “I have to film something that I’m not quite looking forward to. Everyone else on set thinks it’s going to be _fantastic_.”

“No, not fantastic. _Interesting_ ,” Joey corrected as he pointed at Riker. “There is a difference, my man.”

“Whatever, asshole,” Riker snorted as he pushed playfully at Joey’s shoulder. “Dylan has been texting me non-stop saying how Grant is lamenting and pining in his jealousy.”

“That does not even surprise me,” Joey snorted as he shook his head slightly. Riker hummed in agreement and then tossed the soccer ball back out onto the field as it rolled in front of him.

“Will I ever get to meet the infamous Dylan and Grant?” Carter asked as he dodged out of the way of one of the players.

“No idea. I know Dylan talked about coming here for Halloween this year, but with her it could just be talk,” Riker informed as he stretched out his legs in order to roll his ankles and crack them. “Plus I’m not sure you’re equipped for a drunk Grant. He gets handsy.”

“So do you,” Joey cackled. Riker rolled his eyes and shoved at Joey’s shoulder.

“You make it sound like I get handsy with _everyone_. I only get handsy with Jeffry and it hardly counts,” Riker deadpanned.

“I don’t see how it _hardly counts_ as he is your soul mate,” Carter scoffed.

“ _Platonically_ ,” Riker informed stubbornly. “And it hardly counts because we’ve been tactile since we met at the age of three.”

“Tactile because you are soul mates,” Carter huffed out.

“Tactile because the Castellans need touch to thrive,” Riker argued.

“The fight isn’t worth it, man,” Joey laughed as he shook his head over at Carter. “Lily has been badgering them for _weeks_.”

“Lily is also a menace of _huge_ proportions,” Riker said with a roll of his eyes. Joey and Carter both nodded in agreement at that while Riker shook his head.

“I pray for the person who is her soul mate. They’ve gotta be strong,” Joey chuckled. Riker barked out a laugh and nodded as he bumped his shoulder into Joey’s. “I mean, same goes for you. You have to deal with _Jeffry_.”

“And Jeff has to deal with me, so it kind of balances it out,” Riker replied with a small shrug.

“I don’t see how there’s a balance. Jeff is a force to be reckoned with,” Carter said with a shake of his head. Riker shrugged and then leaned back on his palms as he continued to watch the players dodge around each other and try to make goals.

“I’ve got my own baggage that Jeff’s been dealing with for years,” Riker said quietly.

“Okay, but being there for each other is part of being soul mates. Dealing with massive levels of sass and bossiness is _not_ ,” Joey countered. Riker simply shrugged as he glanced over at Joey.

“I don’t find it to be that bad. But, at the same time, I’ve also grown up with him since we’ve known each other since we were toddlers,” Riker added.

“You’ve got a point there,” Carter conceded. “I mean, I’ve known you guys since we were seven, but I feel like the sass had already developed in full by then.”

“Oh, it had. He had to battle with Dad somehow,” Riker laughed. Carter snorted out his own laugh and nodded once in agreement.

“Point,” Carter added. “Ryan was definitely an even _bigger_ force to be reckoned with. Your mother is a saint among humans.”

“Oh, and she knows it,” Riker said. “She reminds us all the time because she had to deal with Dad’s shit and now she has to deal with ours. You should have seen her chastising Curt for being annoying this summer. _Curtis, just because you’ve met your soul mate and can see color now doesn’t mean you can act pretentious to your sister_.”

“Man, I would have paid to see that,” Joey breathed out wistfully. Riker hummed and smiled happily at the memory.

“Alyssa is going to be such a little shit next time we all see each other,” Riker said.

“Why?” Carter asked.

“She met her soul mate two years ago,” Riker informed nonchalantly. “I can’t believe she didn’t break this summer and hold it over Curt’s head.”

“ _What_?” Carter and Joey exclaimed in unison. Riker laughed and nodded as they got up once their coach indicated they could leave.

“How has she been holding _that_ in?” Joey squawked. Riker shrugged and slung his soccer bag over his shoulder.

“She said she doesn’t really want to tell people until she and the guy really figure everything out. She’s letting him work through stuff in his own time. She said they both know they’re each other’s soul mates, but neither of them was really in the place to jump into anything when they first met each other,” Riker said as they walked towards the dorms.

“Have you met this guy?” Carter asked.

“Oh, yeah. He’s super awesome and I can see why he’s Alyssa’s match. He just doesn’t fully know how to handle everything Alyssa and Castellan at the moment,” Riker told them. “He’s a work in progress.”

“Who is?” Jeff chirped as he popped up at Riker’s shoulder with Lily, who was giggling to herself.

“Alyssa’s soul mate,” Riker answered easily as he pulled Jeff to his side. Jeff gagged dramatically and shoved Riker’s arm off of his shoulders.

“Keep your nasty, sweaty self off of me until you shower,” Jeff huffed primly. “But yeah, he’s definitely a work in progress. He’s come a long way, though.”

“You’ve met him too?” Joey asked.

“Oh, yeah. A couple of times. He’s stayed at Riker’s place a few times over breaks. Miri just thinks that he’s a guy she’s dating on and off to bide the time, though,” Jeff said with a shrug. “Not everyone can be like Arya and Jonas or Curt and Maya.”

“Maya definitely has to deal with more than Arya does,” Riker laughed.

“Maya doesn’t have to deal with Blaine taking over phone calls and asking about engagements and sex,” Jeff countered.

“Valid,” Riker conceded with a small nod. “But at the same time, Maya has to deal with Curt jokingly asking Damian to be his sex slave constantly

“God, your siblings are all weird,” Lily breathed as she shook her head.

“You’re no one to talk,” Joey laughed as he shoved at Lily’s shoulder lightly. Lily rolled her eyes and shoved Joey back.

“Get out of my face and go take a shower, you nasty,” Lily informed.

“Only because we’ve reached my room, not because you told me,” Joey chirped as he sauntered into his dorm and greeted his roommate.

“And this is where I leave you as well. See you guys later,” Carter said with a wave as he walked into his own dorm. Riker, Jeff, and Lily all waved as well and then continued up to Riker and Jeff’s dorm.

“How’d you guys end up on the soul mate discussion, anyway?” Jeff asked as they walked into the dorm and he and Lily collapsed onto his bed.

“We were talking about Dad and how Mom was a saint among women for dealing with him _and_ us,” Riker informed as he pulled his jersey off to throw into the laundry basket. Jeff hummed in understanding and leaned back onto his pillows while Lily leaned back against his raised knees.

“And how did that lead you to talking about Alyssa and her soul mate?” Lily asked as she began to braid her hair absentmindedly.

“I was saying how Mom was chastising Curt all summer for annoying Alyssa and how I couldn’t believe Alyssa didn’t break to say she had met her soul mate two years ago,” Riker replied.

“Why didn’t she?” Lily wondered.

“She’s letting him work himself out. Apparently he didn’t fully realize they were soul mates when they met and they’ve just been slowly chugging along since then,” Jeff yawned.

“Ah. I understand that, then,” Lily hummed.

“ _What_?” Jeff gasped as his eyes flew open to look at Lily accusingly. She paused in her braiding at Jeff’s sudden outburst, but then shrugged and resumed her task.

“I met my soul mate freshman year. He doesn’t know it’s me. I’ve been waiting to see when he will realize it. I’m his soul mate, not his mother,” Lily informed primly with a small sniff.

“That’s asking _a lot_ from this person. Knowing the boys at this school, it could be a while,” Riker laughed as he pushed his soccer shorts off of his hips.

“It _has_ been a while. It’s been _four years_ ,” Lily replied.

“So? It took Rike and me eleven years to really realize and discuss that we were soul mates,” Jeff yawned as he made a small face. Lily rolled her eyes and pushed at one of Jeff’s knees.

“It’s not the same. You guy’s barely remember meeting. You’ve just, like, always known each other and known color. You probably didn’t even realize the connection was being made. It wasn’t that way for me. I could almost _sense_ the connection coming together,” Lily sighed wistfully.

“You make it sound way more life changing,” Riker told her. Lily rolled her eyes and gave Riker a sarcastic look.

“Well, when it isn’t _platonic_ , it is a bit more life changing, asshole,” Lily retorted. Riker shrugged and then grabbed a new pair of underwear and shorts from his dresser.

“Well, I’m going to take a shower and you two can continue this conversation in whatever way you want to,” Riker breathed out.

“Good. You reek like stinky man,” Jeff informed offhandedly as he handed Lily a hair tie to finish off her braid.

“Aw, but, Jeffy, I know you just _love_ that,” Riker drawled. Jeff simply shot a glare in Riker’s direction and then grabbed a pillow to throw at Riker, who cackled and ducked into the bathroom before the pillow could hit him. Lily giggled as well and then said something quietly to Jeff, who snorted back. Riker just smiled and shook his head to himself as he got ready to take a shower.

000000

“Look at that face. You have to kiss that face soon,” Lauren giggled into Riker’s ear. Riker made a stubborn noise and shoved at his friend, only increasing her giggles. Joey snorted and shook his head at them without taking his attention off of his phone.

“I swear to god, I am going to _punch_ you,” Riker hissed as he pushed Lauren away from himself again as she tried to lean back into his space.

“Aw, are you teasing Riker again?” Jamie asked as she skipped up to them and dropped onto the couch on Riker’s free side.

“Yes,” Lauren giggled. “He’s being like a petulant toddler about it, too.”

“That’s his natural state of being,” Joey deadpanned while the two girls laughed together. Riker rolled his eyes at all of them and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

“Or you’re all just obnoxious and this is how I defend myself,” he countered. Joey looked over at Riker and inspected him for a few seconds.

“No. I’m pretty sure it is just your natural state of being,” Joey decided as he turned back to his phone.

“You’re the worst,” Riker breathed as he reached out to prod at Joey’s shoulder with his foot. Joey shot Riker a sarcastic smile with his nose scrunched up before he looked over as Dylan walked over to join them.

“I’m pretty sure Jeffry’s nervous energy could power this set right now,” Dylan snorted as she dropped to the floor next to Joey. “You would think the two of you had never been that close before.”

“We’ve never _kissed_ , Dylan,” Riker deadpanned.

“Which I find hard to believe. You guys are soul mates, platonic or not. How did you not, like, experiment with kissing with each other?” Dylan asked.

“Maybe because Jeff’s gay and I’m not…?” Riker replied with a sarcastic expression. Dylan huffed out a small breath and shrugged her shoulders before she turned to look at Joey’s phone when he held it in front of her face. She made an interested noise and then scooted closer to Joey in order to start a whispered conversation with him.

“Ooo! I want in!” Lauren squeaked as she slid onto the floor and then crawled over to them. Joey snorted and then showed Lauren whatever he had just showed Dylan on his phone. Lauren barked out a laugh and then moved closer to Dylan to hear whatever Dylan had to say.

“Weirdos,” Jamie breathed as she slumped into Riker’s side. Riker hummed in agreement and leaned into Jamie as well, relaxing slightly. “How are you feeling right now?”

“Eh. Nervous and awkward,” Riker answered with a small shrug. Jamie huffed out a small laugh and bumped her forehead into Riker’s shoulder.

“It will be fine. You two have probably been through worse,” Jamie reassured. “Like, it’s just a kiss. Kissing can be pretty casual, _as you know_.”

“Oh, _shut up_. Like you haven’t kissed some of our classmates before while drunk,” Riker scoffed.

“I never said that,” Jamie countered. “I’m just making a point. Kissing doesn’t have to be a big deal. I mean, I know you and Jeff have known each other forever and are each other’s soul mates, but it _doesn’t_ have to be a big deal. It’s only a big deal if you guys make it out to be one…which you are.”

“Damn you and your logic,” Riker chuckled. Jamie smiled and rolled her eyes as she bumped their shoulders together again.

“You’re gonna come out of filming this scene perfectly fine. Both of you,” Jamie told Riker quietly. “Just make sure to tell Grant to fuck off with his unwarranted jealousy once it’s over with. He’s being ridiculous.”

“At least you don’t basically live with him,” Dylan cackled out as she looked over at Jamie, who smiled and rolled her eyes.

“No, instead I live with the two have been freaking out for the past month. I think I would take Grant’s ridiculous jealousy because it is easier to tell him off for,” Jamie replied. Lauren and Joey made noises in agreement and Dylan made a face at them.

“Alright, stop your gossiping. Riker, you and Jeffry are up,” Jackson informed as he appeared. Riker heaved out a sigh and Jamie pat his shoulder reassuringly as he got up.

“You got this, man. You know how to use your tongue,” Dylan laughed as she reached out to pat Riker’s leg when he passed her.

“We’re not using tongue,” Riker retorted as he shook her hand off of his leg.

“Whatever floats your boat, Rike,” Joey said with a shrug. Riker rolled his eyes and then continued forward, accepting a clap on the shoulder from Grant as Grant went to join the others.

Riker approached Jeff, who gave Riker a nervous smile. Riker smiled back and moved to stand in front of Jeff. Jeff was fidgeting with his fingers and Riker snorted slightly as he reached out to still them. Jeff released a long, slow sigh and closed his eyes briefly. Riker simply squeezed Jeff’s hands before they both moved closer together.

“We’ll be okay, yeah?” Jeff asked quietly as they pressed their foreheads together. Riker nodded as best as he could and released a long breath through his nose.

“Promise,” Riker whispered. Jeff huffed out a small breath and then nodded as well before they moved apart slightly. Jackson gave them a thumbs up then and walked over to talk to the cameraman briefly.

Riker and Jeff inspected each other’s faces briefly before Riker nodded minutely. Jeff blinked once and then moved forward easily to seal their mouths together. Riker hummed quietly and tightened his grip on Jeff’s hands. Jeff mimicked the action and used their hands to pull Riker a bit closer. Riker made another small noise and Jeff released a long breath through his nose as he moved one hand to cup Riker’s cheek. Riker leaned into the touch slightly and Jeff smiled against Riker’s mouth before he gently nipped at Riker’s bottom lip.

Riker gasped slightly at the small bite, and Jeff took advantage in order to deepen the kiss. Riker melted into the contact and moved one hand to Jeff’s hip to grip at it. Jeff hummed happily and then pulled away gently to rest their foreheads together. They both breathed into each other’s space for a few seconds before they snapped back into reality as Jackson clapped once in triumph.

“That was great, guys,” Jackson praised happily. Riker and Jeff’s eyes both shot open and they stared at each other in shock.

“I…I, uh, I need to go,” Jeff breathed out shakily a few seconds later before he ripped away from Riker and sped out of the studio. Riker simply stared at the now empty space in front of him, body thrumming with an energy he had never felt before8. Jackson eyed Riker warily, but Joey waved Jackson off as he darted forward into Riker’s line of sight.

“C’mon, man,” Joey said quietly as he carefully latched onto Riker’s arm to steer Riker out towards his car. Jackson let them go easily and turned to the remaining four teens.

“Alright, kids, let’s move onto the next scene….” Jackson started as Joey led Riker outside.

“Home, or dorm?” Joey asked simply.

“Home,” Riker replied easily as he mechanically got into the passenger side of his car and handed Joey the keys. Joey nodded once, but otherwise didn’t say anything as he got into the car, started it up, and began to drive towards Riker’s house.

000000

“You gonna be okay, or do you need to crash in my room?” Joey asked Sunday afternoon as he and Riker drove back up to Westtown. Riker released a heavy breath and then shrugged.

“I should be okay. But thanks for the offer,” Riker finally replied.

“Yeah, man. You’re one of my closest friends. Of course I will take you in if you need to avoid your roommate while you’re having some kind of weird identity crisis,” Joey chuckled. Riker grumbled out stubbornly and reached out to punch Joey in the shoulder. Joey simply laughed and swat Riker’s hand away easily. “Don’t even try. I just spent the past day and a half with you while you moped and cuddled your cat and whined to your older sister via text.”

“Wow. You’re the worst. I don’t know why I’m friends with you,” Riker deadpanned. Joey shrugged as he pulled into a parking spot and parked Riker’s car.

“I don’t know either. I’m pretty terrible. Though, so are you, so maybe that’s why,” Joey replied.

“Probably,” Riker agreed with a small snort.

“Now, c’mon. Let’s go face the music,” Joey laughed as he clapped Riker on the shoulder before they both got out of the car.

“You have no music to face,” Riker grumbled. Joey rolled his eyes and tossed Riker his backpack.

“Stop with the moping, dude. It’s unflattering,” Joey informed.

“Aw, are you saying other aspects of my person are flattering?” Riker crooned as he bat his eyelids at Joey dramatically. Joey barked out a laugh and pressed a hand to Riker’s cheek in order to push Riker away. Riker snorted out his own laugh and nudged Joey with his shoulder as they walked into their dorm building. “But in all reality, thanks, man.”

“Yeah, no problem. It’s what friends are for,” Joey reassured as he ruffled Riker’s hair. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he swat Joey’s hand away. “Now I’m gonna go do the homework that was neglected here all weekend.”

“You’re acting like you would have done it. I know you better,” Riker scoffed as he smirked over at Joey, who smiled innocently in return.

“I like to give the impression that I have my shit together, Riker,” Joey added. Riker just smiled and waved at Joey over his shoulder as he head towards his own dorm. Joey laughed after Riker and Riker heard him kick his door open. “Good luck!”

“Thanks!” Riker replied as he waved once more before he disappeared up the stairs. Riker heaved out a sigh as he came to a stop in front of his own dorm door and rested his forehead against it.

“You look ridiculous. Stop waffling around,” Lily whispered as she popped up next to Riker. Riker startled slightly and then shot Lily a glare while she giggled quietly behind her hand. “Stop worrying so much. Just go chill with your best friend and try not to make it weird.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Riker hissed out. Lily simply shrugged and tilted her head to the side slightly before she skipped off down the hallway, singing out for Trish. Riker shook his head as he watched her go and then took one more deep breath before he pushed the door open.

Jeff glanced up as Riker walked in and gave Riker a tight smile. Riker did the same in response and Jeff seemed to relax slightly as he turned back to the homework that was spread out in front of him on his bed. Riker dropped his backpack onto his bed and then pulled his shirt off before he grabbed new clothes so he could go take a shower. Jeff seemed to be willfully ignoring Riker, gaze trained down on his homework without any real concentration. Riker made a face to himself, but didn’t say anything as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

When Riker walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later, Jeff was still in the same position with his brow furrowed in confusion. Riker snorted to himself as he toweled his hair dry and then tossed his towel onto his bed.

“Working on math homework?” Riker asked as he leaned over Jeff’s bed. Jeff startled slightly without looking up from his homework and then gave a somber nod.

“How did you even know?” Jeff deadpanned as he threw his pencil down onto his papers.

“Because you always get that furrow between your eyebrows when math confuses your brain,” Riker chuckled as he pressed a thumb between Jeff’s eyebrows to smooth out the lines. Jeff rolled his eyes as he looked up at Riker with a deadpan expression.

“Do not mock me,” Jeff added.

“No mocking to be had,” Riker informed with a small smile and a scrunched nose.

“You’re ridiculous and you’re not wearing a shirt,” Jeff said with a small huff.

“So…?” Riker asked with a small shake of his head.

“So I think you’re allergic to shirts,” Jeff chirped with a glint in his eyes.

“ _You’re_ allergic to shirts,” Riker replied petulantly. Jeff snorted out a giggle and then pulled Riker down onto his bed with him. Riker squawked out indignantly, but then laughed as well as Jeff wrapped his limbs around Riker.

“You’re the ridiculous one who walks around our dorm shirtless all the time,” Jeff giggled.

“So? It’s our room,” Riker retorted as he poked at Jeff’s sides.

“It’s ridiculous and you’re ridiculous and your _body_ is ridiculous,” Jeff informed breathlessly. Riker simply quirked an eyebrow at Jeff, who inspected Riker’s face carefully before he darted forward to seal their mouths together.

Riker made a surprised noise, but then easily relaxed into the contact, hands finding their way onto Jeff’s hips. Jeff hummed happily against Riker’s mouth and clutched at Riker’s cheeks. Riker squeezed Jeff’s hips and Jeff made a small noise as he shifted on top of Riker. Riker repeated the action, which resulted in Jeff gasping slightly and pulling away from Riker slightly.

Riker huffed out a small laugh and then poked at Jeff’s sides. Jeff squawked and then slapped Riker’s chest playfully before tackling Riker. Riker barked out a laugh and wrapped his arms around Jeff tightly as they scrabbled to be in control.

“Wait, your math homework!” Riker suddenly gasped out.

“Fuck my math homework,” Jeff growled out, shocking another laugh out of Riker. Jeff silenced Riker with another kiss, and then squealed against Riker’s mouth when Riker rolled them off of the bed. They separated with twin groans and Jeff retaliated by darting forward to bite at Riker’s ear. Riker made a small, surprised noise at the action, but then got back at Jeff by completely covering Jeff with his own body.

“Can’t escape now, you heathen,” Riker breathed out as Jeff squirmed beneath him. Jeff giggled manically as he pushed at Riker without any success.

“You’re a shirtless menace,” Jeff informed through pants.

“We keep coming around to this shirtless thing,” Riker sighed out.

“Because you’re ridiculous and should put a shirt on,” Jeff told Riker as he reached out to tug on the hair just below Riker’s naval. Riker grunted out in surprise and rolled off of Jeff. Jeff hummed primly in success and then crawled back over to his bed.

“You play dirty,” Riker hissed out as he narrowed his eyes at Jeff. Jeff just quirked an eyebrow at Riker as he climbed back onto his bed and rearranged his papers.

“You’re no one to talk,” Jeff added as he stuck his nose in the air. “You’ve been playing dirty since you emerged from the womb, probably. You most likely were birthed with that puppy dog look on your face and the doctors didn’t have the heart to be anything but nice to you. You probably had everyone hooked around your pinky toe with those damn eyes.”

“Aw, don’t sound so hateful about these eyes, Jeffy,” Riker cooed as he fluttered his eyelids. Jeff snorted and rolled his eyes before he turned back to his homework. “C’mon, budge over and I will help you with your homework.”

“Put on a damn shirt first, you beast of a man,” Jeff said in a bored tone. Riker rolled his eyes even as he got up to obey. Jeff watched smugly and then shifted over on his bed to make room for Riker.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Riker informed quietly as he sat down next to Jeff and immediately began to look over Jeff’s homework.

“I know,” Jeff whispered back, eyes watching Riker fondly instead of looking down at his homework.

000000

“I am so ready for practice to be over,” Riker groaned as he approached Joey along the sidelines and pushed his sweaty bangs away from his forehead. Joey made a small noise in agreement from around his water bottle as he drank greedily.

“Today is rough as hell,” George panted as he clapped Riker on the shoulder as he passed in order to grab his own water bottle. Riker and Joey hummed in agreement as Riker lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead.

“I’m sure we all reek to high heaven, too,” Riker sighed as he let his shirt drop and then accepted his water bottle from Joey.

“Probably. I’m sure you’ll hear all about it from Jeffry when you get back to your dorm,” Carter chuckled. Riker shrugged in response while he drank and kicked out at Joey when Joey snorted.

“I swear, I will kill you,” Riker hissed at Joey once he finished swallowing his water. Joey smiled innocently and gave Riker a one shouldered shrug.

“I didn’t _say_ anything,” Joey added with a small smirk.

“Didn’t have to. I know you too well by now,” Riker replied.

“Same to you, man,” Joey laughed as he jutted his chin in the direction of Riker’s neck. Riker narrowed his eyes at Joey, who winked at Riker in response.

“You two are being weird. Why are you being weird?” George asked as he looked between Riker and Jeff.

“Because Riker has a hidden hickey and I know who gave it to him and Riker is bitter about that,” Joey answered easily as he began to pack up his bag. Riker made a stubborn noise and punched Joey’s shoulder.

“ _Excuse_. How do you know this?” Carter asked as he stared at Riker and Joey with wide eyes.

“Because he’s an _asshole_ ,” Riker grumbled out while Joey laughed to himself and dodged another punch from Riker.

“Would you rather be talking to Alyssa, man?” Joey asked as he quirked an eyebrow at Riker.

“God _no_ ,” Riker breathed out. “You may be an ass about it sometimes, but she would be _unbearable_. She would probably squeal at me and then lecture me.”

“ _I_ lecture you,” Joey informed as they all began to head back towards the dorm buildings. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he bumped their shoulders together.

“It’s a different kind of lecturing and you know it,” Riker added.

“Now I just wanna know who is biting at Riker’s neck,” George commented airily as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“Same,” Carter agreed as he peeked around George to smirk at Riker.

“Well, sucks for you guys, because I’m not telling you,” Riker informed. George and Carter turned their gazes to Joey then, who barked out a laugh and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t tell you either. And I know the other individual won’t either. They won’t even talk to _me_ about it,” Joey scoffed. Riker rolled his eyes and took another swig of water as he walked.

“I’m not sure I want you talking to them about it,” Riker added. Joey shrugged his shoulder and then clapped Riker on the back.

“All I know is that the makeup covering that hickey on your shoulder probably isn’t going to last long,” Joey breathed. “The possessiveness is _real_.”

“Shut up,” Riker grumbled as he ducked his head. Joey chuckled and ruffled Riker’s hair.

“Deal with it. You might be stuck with it for a while,” Joey informed. Riker mumbled something under his breath that only Joey heard, and Joey barked out a laugh. “Well, this is where I leave you guys. See you for Swallows later tonight.”

“Bye,” Riker, George, and Carter all chorused as they continued on to their own dorms.

“So, are you ever gonna come forward with whomever you are allegedly hooking up with?” George asked as he nudged Riker with his elbows.

“Your use of big words will not lead to any confusion that would make me spill any details,” Riker informed easily.

“Aw, shucks,” George chuckled while Carter smiled and rolled his eyes.

“We all live together, I’m sure we will find out eventually,” Carter said.

“You don’t know that. I know how to keep secrets,” Riker informed with a small smirk.

“Mmh, but we have some friends who are really _sneaky_ ,” George said. “Look at Lily.”

“Ooooh, but Lily wouldn’t necessarily _blab_. She’s got her own set of shit that she’s been hiding for years because she’s weird,” Riker chirped with a smirk. “Just because she knows how to worm information out doesn’t mean she is going to give it away freely. Not when I have information on her as well.”

“Valid point,” Carter conceded as they reached his dorm. “Well, I’m gonna go shower now. Later, guys.”

“Bye,” Riker and George chirped in unison as they waved at Carter over their shoulders.

“Does Lily really have big secrets?” George asked.

“Oh, god yeah,” Riker snorted out. “It’s big enough that I’m surprised she hasn’t tired of keeping it in yet.”

“Hm. Impressive. I would never expect that from her,” George hummed. Riker nodded in agreement and then clapped George on the shoulder as they reached Riker and Jeff’s room.

“Ta ta for now, man,” Riker said as he pushed into his dorm room. George simply waved and then darted off down the hallway, calling out for his roommate. Jeff looked up and smiled at Riker and Riker smiled back as he dropped his soccer bag to the floor next to his closet.

“How was practice today?” Jeff questioned as he leaned back on his palms in order to watch Riker move around the room. Riker immediately groaned and flopped his arms out dramatically. Jeff snorted and rolled his eyes. “That bad?”

“God, _yes_ ,” Riker groaned before he pulled his shirt off over his head. “It was unusually _hot_ and we had to run _so many laps_.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Jeff teased as he got up off of his bed in order to grab new clothes for Riker. Riker stuck his tongue out at Jeff and tossed his soccer shirt in with the rest of his laundry. Jeff turned to smile at Riker, but then his eyes were immediately drawn to Riker’s neck.

“Don’t give me that look. I was _not_ going to practice with a giant, _visible_ hickey on my neck,” Riker informed with a deadpan expression.

“Only because you’re a _chicken_ ,” Jeff teased as he advanced on Riker, who snorted out and refused to move from his spot in the middle of the room.

“More like I don’t feel like facing the questions,” Riker countered as he quirked an eyebrow at Jeff. Jeff did the same in response as he stopped right in front of Riker and lifted a hand up to wipe at Riker’s neck.

“Where did you even _get_ the makeup?” Jeff asked quietly as he slowly wiped away the makeup. Riker made a small noise and tipped his head to the side in order to give Jeff better access.

“Joey recruited Lily to help me,” Riker whispered out in response. Jeff snorted out a laugh and leaned forward to press his forehead to Riker’s sternum. Riker smiled to himself and pat at Jeff’s hip lightly.

“You stink, by the way,” Jeff informed.

“I mean, I did just tell you that we have unusually hot weather and I was running around in it,” Riker laughed. Jeff snorted out his own laugh and then pulled Riker closer and buried his nose in the crook of Riker’s neck. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes to himself as he pinched Jeff’s side lightly. Jeff made a stubborn noise and retaliated by biting down on Riker’s neck. Riker squeaked and then laughed even as he tipped his head to the side once more.

Jeff hummed happily against Riker’s skin and then slowly began to lead Riker back towards the bathroom. Riker went easily even as he made sure they weren’t going to run into anything. Jeff made an appreciative noise and reached out blindly to turn on the shower once they were in the bathroom. Riker grunted in annoyance then and pulled at Jeff’s shirt. Jeff simply pulled away from Riker’s skin in order to peel his shirt off and toss it onto the floor before he pulled Riker into a kiss. Riker smiled against Jeff’s mouth and then wiggled his way out of his shorts and underwear. Jeff did the same and then pushed Riker beneath the warm spray of the shower.

“Don’t forget. Swallows practice in twenty,” Riker panted. Jeff rolled his eyes and flicked Riker’s nose. Riker snorted out a laugh and Jeff smiled.

“I will take as long as I please,” Jeff added. Riker made a face at Jeff and Jeff giggled as he pulled Riker to his chest. Riker laughed as well and blew a kiss against Jeff’s cheek. Jeff giggled even more and then squealed as Riker nipped at his neck. “Okay, okay, _point_.”

“Thought so,” Riker replied through a laugh.

“Hurry then, weirdo,” Jeff laughed.

“Don’t tell me to _hurry_ ,” Riker countered even as he crowded Jeff against the wall of the shower and pressed their bodies together. Jeff sighed out a moan and pulled Riker’s mouth down to his. Riker smiled against Jeff’s mouth once again and Jeff smiled back as they easily became enveloped in one another.

000000

“Morning, boys!” Alyssa squawked loudly as she burst into Riker and Jeff’s dorm a couple weeks later. Riker and Jeff both groaned and Jeff buried himself even more into Riker’s pillows.

“When the fuck did Jeff end up in my bed?” Riker asked blearily as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Somewhere between three and four in the morning. He climbed in and shoved me out, mumbling something about needing _his man_ ,” Alyssa giggled as she dropped down onto Jeff’s bed and began to eat her yogurt happily. Jeff groaned loudly and pulled Riker’s blankets over his head. “Do you guys normally get that drunk after winning a competition?”

“God, no,” Riker answered as he slowly sat up and pushed his hair out of his face. “I don’t remember the last time I was _that_ drunk. Probably when I hooked up with Mariah.”

Jeff gagged dramatically at the mention of Mariah and Riker rolled his eyes. Alyssa eyed them, watching as Riker pat Jeff’s back lightly and Jeff peeked up at Riker with a glint in his eye.

“I know. You think Mariah is vomit worthy,” Riker chuckled.

“Not as bad as your spawn of Satan ex,” Jeff mumbled into Riker’s pillow. Riker rolled his eyes fondly and pat Jeff’s back again.

“Real question, though,” Alyssa began as she licked her spoon clean and eyed the two boys. Riker looked over at Alyssa with a questioning expression while Jeff seemed to ignore her completely in favor of keeping his face buried in Riker’s pillows. “How long have you guys been hooking up?”

“ _What_?” Riker and Jeff gasped out in unison as Jeff flipped over quickly to stare at Alyssa with wide eyes. Alyssa smirked and raised one eyebrow at them as she ate another spoonful of yogurt.

“I’m not stupid. Riker has hickies all over, and I _know_ how possessive you are, Jeffry. Not to mention you guys started making out before you went to sleep,” Alyssa informed them. Riker and Jeff both groaned and Jeff buried his face back in the pillows miserably. “That and when I asked Lily about it this morning, she told me Riker has been pilfering her makeup to hide said hickies.”

“Lilleth is the worst,” Riker grumbled as he flopped back into the blankets and nuzzled his way into Jeff’s side. Alyssa giggled to herself and then got up to walk over and ruffle both Riker and Jeff’s hair.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone,” Alyssa reassured.

“You better not, or I’ll tell Mom you’ve been lying about Derek,” Riker informed.

“That’s just rude, Riker Samuel,” Alyssa huffed out.

“So are you, what’s your point,” Jeff deadpanned without moving at all. Alyssa blew a raspberry at Jeff and then slapped at his ass. Jeff made a stubborn noise, but did nothing else.

“But seriously, how long?” Alyssa asked as she dropped back down onto Jeff’s bed.

“I don’t know,” Riker breathed out. “My daily schedule is a too bit full to keep track of that.”

“Bullshit,” Alyssa retorted easily. “You both know exactly how long, you just don’t want to admit it.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re like an actual demon from hell?” Jeff yawned as he twisted his head in order to look over at Alyssa, who preened smugly.

“Yes. Usually by you or your siblings,” Alyssa replied easily as she flicked her hair over her shoulder.

“The statement still stands,” Jeff informed before he shoved himself up slowly. “It sickens me that I know you’re going to be involved in the rest of my life.”

“I am wounded, Jeffry. _Wounded_ ,” Alyssa gasped as she clapped a hand to her chest dramatically. Jeff simply flicked her off and then shuffled into the bathroom. Alyssa giggled to herself and then bounced up in order to collapse next to Riker, who grumbled at her. “So, you’re not going to be forward with information?”

“No,” Riker informed around a yawn. “You weren’t even supposed to know anything was happening. You only learned because we were drunk and stupid.”

“Damn. Harsh,” Alyssa said. “I told you and Jeffry about Derek.”

“We don’t bug you like you would bug us,” Riker informed as he looked up at Alyssa with a sarcastic expression. Alyssa stopped then and contemplated.

“Yeah. You’re right. I can understand your thinking,” she finally conceded as she shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed. “Why are you guys keeping it so hush hush, though?”

“Because who really knows what is happening,” Riker replied as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling.

“Well, have you guys _talked_ about it?” Alyssa asked as she lay down next to Riker and propped her head on Riker’s shoulder.

“No,” Riker replied quietly. Alyssa snorted and shook her head slightly.

“That was your problem when you were fourteen, too. You guys need to _talk_ ,” Alyssa informed.

“Don’t tell me how to live my life,” Riker grumbled.

“I’m not. I’m just saying you guys should talk about whatever is happening. No one else can tell you what is going on in Jeff’s head aside from him. I mean, you know him the best of anyone since you’re his soul mate. I think he would be open with you as long as you were open with him,” Alyssa stated. Riker heaved out a sigh and Alyssa pat his chest comfortingly. “I know it’s hard, but you’re gonna have to do it at some point. You can’t just keep messing around with him. That is not how either of you really function. Sure, you’ve both had hook ups, but you’re different with each other.”

“You’re the worst,” Riker breathed out. Alyssa snorted and slapped at Riker’s leg playfully.

“I know. But it is my job as your older sister to make you _see_ reason. I know this is different for you. Why else would you guys be keeping it quiet?” Alyssa asked.

“Because up until recently I didn’t think I liked guys…?” Riker questioned skeptically. Alyssa barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

“That is so inconsequential with your group of friends and you know it,” she chirped. “I mean, I already talked about it a bit with Lily. She’s not stupid. She said she figured it out pretty easily.”

“Also because she talks to Joey,” Riker said.

“Joey knows,” Alyssa deadpanned.

“Yeah. He was there for, like, my initial breakdown. Kind of hard to hide stuff from him after that,” Riker snorted.

“And Lily mostly found out because of the makeup, thing, yeah?” Alyssa asked. Riker nodded once and heaved out a sigh.

“And now you know,” Riker breathed. Alyssa hummed and pat Riker’s chest.

“You guys are gonna be fine. You’ve made it through more than whatever this hooking up thing is,” she reassured. “Plus, you’re soul mates. That counts for something, no matter if it is platonic or not.”

“Yeah, I know,” Riker said quietly.

“Aw, have you been gossiping together this whole time I’ve been showering?” Jeff crooned as he walked out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of Riker’s soccer sweatpants.

“Oh, for sure. You know how I _love_ to gossip,” Alyssa cackled as she sat up and pat Jeff’s leg as he passed.

“You’re one of the worst gossips I know, Alyssa, so you’re not far off,” Jeff snorted.

“ _Hey_. I only talk about stuff that has basis to it!” Alyssa squawked as she stared at Jeff with wide eyes. “I _don’t_ make shit up and you know it!”

“I know, but it’s just _so fun_ to get you riled up,” Jeff teased as he flounced by and tapped Alyssa’s nose. Alyssa made a stubborn noise and crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

“I don’t like you anymore,” Alyssa grumbled.

“Well aren’t I lucky that you’re not the Castellan I am attached to, then,” Jeff crowed as Riker snorted into his hands next to Alyssa. Alyssa rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms in order to slap Riker’s leg.

“Your other half is a giant piece of shit,” Alyssa informed stubbornly.

“I can’t control him. Sorry,” Riker replied through a laugh as he sat up. Jeff sent an innocent smile in Alyssa’s direction as he grabbed a shirt to pull on before he grabbed a granola bar from the box in his closet.

“I never needed to be liked by you, Alyssa. Your opinion of me is inconsequential,” Jeff preened as he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop.

“My opinion is _important_ since you’re the one sucking on my baby brother’s neck and chest,” Alyssa deadpanned.

“Ah, but I’m not sucking his dick, so take your opinions to the people who have,” Jeff replied airily as he logged onto his laptop. Alyssa gaped at Jeff then while Riker attempted to keep his laughter at bay.

“Are you hearing this, Riker Samuel?” Alyssa gasped out. Riker burst out laughing then and nodded as he leaned against the wall for support.

“At least he’s not telling me I should have been worried about Natalie sucking my soul out of my dick again,” Riker laughed.

“It was a legitimate concern of mine, Riker,” Jeff deadpanned as he clicked around something on his laptop. “I’m telling you, Natalie was the spawn of Satan. You’re lucky to have made it out of that relationship with your soul.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Riker informed as he finally got up from his bed.

“Only for you, honey bunch,” Jeff replied offhandedly with his attention still on his laptop. Riker simply hummed and walked over to squish Jeff’s cheeks together briefly. Jeff made a stubborn noise and swat at Riker’s hands even after Riker had removed them.

“Your reflexes are off,” Riker chirped.

“I’m hung over and trying to do homework, don’t judge me,” Jeff replied as he sent a quick glare at Riker.

“I’ve been hung over and gone to soccer practice before, so I will judge you all I want,” Riker said as he walked over to his dresser to pull out fresh clothes.

“And how many times did you vomit during practice those days, hm?” Jeff asked as he turned in his chair to look at Riker with a quirked eyebrow.

“ _Zero_ , so you can _suck it_ , Jeffry,” Riker informed smugly. Jeff made a face at Riker and then turned back to his laptop.

“I ain’t suckin’ it. You reek like booze and sweat,” Jeff deadpanned.

“Yeah, and half of it is your sweat, asshole,” Riker retorted easily as he tore off his shirt to throw in the direction of his laundry.

“Which is even worse than _your_ sweat,” Jeff said.

“Aw, are you saying my sweat is better than yours?” Riker teased as he circled around Jeff and bat his eyelids dramatically. Jeff rolled his eyes and pushed at Riker’s face even as he smiled fondly.

“Get out of my face and go shower, you butt,” Jeff chuckled as he nudged Riker in the direction of the bathroom. Riker laughed to himself and pinched Jeff’s cheek quickly before he darted into the bathroom.

“God, you two are ridiculous,” Alyssa breathed out as she watched the bathroom door shut behind her younger brother. Jeff startled slightly at the sound of Alyssa’s voice and turned to look at her with wide eyes. Alyssa snorted and got up to walk over and drape her arms over Jeff’s shoulders.

“I forgot you were here,” Jeff breathed as he turned his attention back to his computer.

“I know,” Alyssa said quietly. “You guys zoned into your own little world. It happens.”

“Does it, though?” Jeff asked in a small voice.

“Yes,” Alyssa replied as she rested her cheek against Jeff’s head. “Because it’s you two, and you’re soul mates.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jeff whispered.

“Do you, though?” Alyssa questioned as she squeezed her arms around Jeff’s shoulders slightly. Jeff nodded minutely and dropped his hands from his keyboard.

“I do. He doesn’t,” Jeff said in such a quiet voice that Alyssa almost missed it. Alyssa crooned and kissed Jeff’s temple.

“Don’t worry. He’s not _as_ dense as he seems. He’ll get there soon,” Alyssa reassured. Jeff simply hummed and leaned back into Alyssa’s embrace as they both smiled slightly as Riker began to sing loudly in the shower.

000000

“Bets on how many girls are going to hit on you tonight,” Jeff bugled as he waved a hand in Riker’s direction. Riker rolled his eyes as he pulled on his leaf skirt and then flicked Jeff off. Jeff snorted out a laugh and turned to the mirror in order to mess with his hair again.

“Stop messing with your hair, it looks fine,” Riker informed as he walked over and propped his chin on Jeff’s shoulder. Jeff looked at Riker through the mirror and gave him a deadpan expression.

“It doesn’t look right _to me_ ,” Jeff informed.

“Because you’re not used to seeing your hair brown,” Riker replied as he ran his hand through Jeff’s hair. “It’s a new look for you.”

“But it doesn’t look bad, does it?” Jeff asked as he gave Riker a worried look. Riker snorted and leaned forward to press a kiss to Jeff’s cheek.

“It looks good. Stop worrying about it,” Riker reassured as he pulled away and walked over to his dresser to get his keys.

“Are you sure this is the right room?” a voice suddenly asked.

“ _Yes_. God. I, like, triple checked with Riker,” another voice retorted in a bored voice. Riker and Jeff both snorted with laughter and Riker walked over to throw the door open. “See, I told you I was right.”

“Shut up, Dylan,” Grant grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. Dylan simply stuck her tongue out at Grant and then turned to give Riker a slow once over.

“Lookin’ hot, Rike,” Dylan informed with a smirk. Riker rolled his eyes and stepped out of the doorway in order to let Dylan and Grant into the room.

“So I have been told,” Riker deadpanned while Jeff giggled to himself.

“It’s those abs, Rikey,” Jeff chirped as he looked over a Riker with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I am _not_ having this discussion again, Jeffry Alexander,” Riker chastised as he pointed in Jeff’s direction while Jeff continued to giggle to himself.

“You’re no fun,” Jeff added with a forced pout. Riker rolled his eyes and walked over to pull lightly on the tip of Jeff’s ear. Jeff made a stubborn noise and swat at Riker’s hand uselessly.

“Do we even _want_ to know what you guys are talking about?” Grant asked as he looked between Riker and Jeff with raised eyebrows.

“No,” Riker and Jeff chirped in unison as they moved away from each other.

“C’mon. I will take you guys out to meet people while Jeff finishes getting ready,” Riker said as he walked towards the door. Dylan and Grant both nodded and followed Riker easily, throwing waves to Jeff over their shoulders.

“So, where is this happening, now?” Dylan asked.

“Lounge on this floor. We could have done it over at the detached dorm building, but we all collectively agreed not to do that,” Riker chuckled. “We are all way too lazy and people get drunk and it is easier to crash with people who live in the main building.”

“Sounds like solid planning,” Grant commented. Riker simply nodded and then took off as he spotted Joey.

“Joseph!” Riker bugled as he jumped onto Joey’s back easily. Joey grunted under the weight, but then adjusted himself and Riker while Riker giggled to himself.

“You’re a menace and you hang out with Jeffry too much,” Joey grumbled.

“On the contrary, Jeffry learned all of his tackling techniques from _me_ when we were little,” Riker corrected with a smug grin. Joey smiled and rolled his eyes as he pinched Riker’s leg.

“Speaking of Jeffry, how many abs comments has he made already?” Joey asked. Riker rolled his eyes and ran a hand down his face.

“Too many. Waaaay too many,” Riker breathed out. “I think he has some kind of obsession.”

“That would be correct,” Joey cackled. “I’m surprised you don’t have hickies any lower than the chest.”

“What now?” Dylan squawked as she caught up to them. “Does our sweet Riker have _hickies_?”

“No,” Riker replied quickly.

“Yes,” Joey answered at the same time with a smirk. “Lily has just taught him how to cover them up. The giver is not very happy with that, but seems to be dealing with it well enough…in public.”

“That last part seems like a very important part of the statement,” Grant snorted as he clapped Riker on the shoulder. Riker rolled his eyes while Joey chuckled and nodded.

“It is. I’ve seen Riker have no hickies, interact with certain people, and then appear at practice the next morning with at least two hickies,” Joey chirped.

“Because people are jealous assholes,” Riker grumbled as he lowered himself off of Joey’s back while Grant and Dylan cackled next to them.

“What are you guys laughing about?” Lily asked as she popped up next to Riker and draped her arm over his shoulder.

“Riker possessive hickey giver,” Dylan giggled as she eyed Riker again. “You do a good job covering them, though.”

“Well, I thank thee, because that is because of _my_ tutelage,” Lily sniffed out primly before she shifted expressions and giggled. “Also, the hickey giver is definitely _suuuuper_ possessive. I’ve seen the possessive eyes come out when we are in public and I always know Riker is gonna come at me with, like, three hickies the next day.”

“You’re all the worst,” Riker breathed as he ran a hand down his face.

“Aw, but it’s cute!” Lily chirped. “Just imagine how it’s going to be when you both figure shit out and actually date!”

“You’re delusional,” Riker defended as he pushed at Lily’s face.

“More like _you’re_ the delusional one,” Joey laughed as he punched Riker’s shoulder playfully. Riker just rolled his eyes and then grunted as someone jumped onto his back.

“Is that an Emma?” Riker asked as the person began giggling manically.

“It is!” Emma squealed. “You know me so well!”

“I mean, you’ve been following me around like a lost puppy since sophomore year, soooo,” Riker breathed out. Emma made a stubborn noise and pinched Riker’s cheek. “By the way, these are Dylan and Grant. Guys, this is Emma.”

“Hello,” they all said as they waved.

“I hope you enjoy working with this wonderful man,” Emma breathed wistfully as she pat Riker’s bare chest fondly. “He’s just the most talented person, which also makes him the worst.”

“Ugh, it _does_ ,” Dylan agreed. “I never expected it because the first time we all met he was so awkward and shy.”

“I was just barely fourteen and dealing with a lot of shit,” Riker said petulantly as he made a face at Dylan.

“Weren’t we all,” Grant breathed.

“Yes, but not like Riker was,” Joey chuckled as he clapped a hand to Grant’s shoulder. Riker nodded in agreement, but otherwise did not offer up any information.  Lily glanced between Riker and Joey, but then shrugged it off as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“You’re looking quite lovely, Lily,” Grant crooned as he waggled his eyebrows at her. Lily rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips as she stared at Grant.

“It’s still not going to happen, Grant,” Lily informed as she cocked her hip to the side slightly. “My answer has not changed since the last time we saw each other.”

“Aw, still holding out for that douche bag of a guy to pull his head out of his ass?” Grant asked as he pulled Lily to his side and draped an arm over her shoulder.

“He’s not a douche bag, he’s just an idiot,” Lily defended as she pinched Grant’s side.

“That describes most of the male population,” Dylan snorted as she pulled Grant off of Lily. Emma hummed in agreement as she rested her chin on top of Riker’s head.

“I can’t even pretend to take offence to that,” Joey said with a small shrug. “I know I can be pretty stupid at times.”

“ _At times_ , he says,” Lily scoffed. “Still doing better than the other two.”

“I mean, that’s quite the level of stupidity,” Joey laughed.

“Stop being assholes,” Riker told them as he kicked in Joey’s direction. Joey just chuckled and dodged out of Riker’s way before he darted forward to ruffle Riker’s hair.

“I won’t until the situation fixes itself,” Joey informed with an innocent smile.

“Yep!” Lily chirped in agreement with a bright smile. “I’m waiting until the day you stop asking me for makeup to cover up hickies.”

“Aw, Rikey’s getting some,” Emma crooned as she squished Riker’s cheeks together. Riker rolled his eyes and gently shoved Emma off of his back as she giggled.

“You’re all ridiculous and I don’t have nearly enough alcohol in my system to deal with it,” Riker told them as he walked off towards the drink table.

“Lookin’ _hot_ , Riker,” Trish giggled as she eyed Riker while he approached. Riker simply smiled and spun for her with his arms outstretched. Trish giggled even more while Henry snorted next to her.

“If you guys hadn’t known each other since you were five, I would be a bit more worried,” Henry commented. Trish smiled and rolled her eyes as she leaned into Henry’s side and then whispered something to him. Henry snorted again and nodded once before he kissed her temple. “Yes, that too.”

“Well, aren’t you two just _adorable_ ,” Riker cooed as he grabbed a drink and then took a sip.

“We try,” Trish hummed with a small shrug. Riker smiled and bumped their shoulders together as he took another sip of his drink. “So, it only took you three and a half years to get your other costars to visit. How’d you manage that?”

“Promises of alcohol and getting to make my classmates become star struck,” Riker replied easily. “No one gets starry eyed over Jeff, Joey, Lauren, Jamie, or me. They got to know us a bit before the shot got popular.”

“In our graduating class, at least,” Henry commented as they watched a few giggling girls approach Grant, who happily accepted the attention with a bright, stunning smile.

“Valid point,” Riker agreed as he lifted his cup slightly in salute to Henry.

“So, where’s your other half?” Trish asked.

“Who knows. He was nearly finished getting ready when I left our room with Grant and Dylan,” Riker replied as they walked over to sit down on one of the couches. “He was fussing over his hair quite a bit, though.”

“That’s nothing new,” Henry laughed.

“True, but it was taken to a new level tonight because he had me color his hair earlier. Not to mention he was all nervous about actually having his ears on display because he’s a weirdo,” Riker snorted. Trish made an interested noise and looked over at Riker as she pulled her cup away from her mouth and swallowed.

“He’s actually going to show his cute, little ears off?” Trish asked with wide eyes. Riker smiled and nodded in response.

“What’s the big deal about that?” Henry asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Jeff doesn’t like to show off his ears. He’s oddly self conscious about them because they’re slightly pointed at the tips. Arya embraces them. Jeff hides them,” Riker informed before he took another swig of his drink.

“They’re adorable. He’s like an elf,” Trish chirped as she draped her legs across Henry’s lap.  “He should be an elf for Halloween one year. He totally looks the part with his cute li’l nose and good cheekbones and pointy ears.”

“He’s kind-of an elf this year…” Riker breathed out. “But not fully.”

“How can you not _fully_ be a creature for Halloween?” Henry wondered with raised eyebrows.

“By being someone who was _partially_ transformed into a creature!” Jeff chirped as he popped up behind Riker and smiled widely at Henry. Trish squealed and then giggled as she took in Jeff’s appearance and reached out to grab onto his face.

“Look at you! Oh my god! You’re so damn pretty!” Trish exclaimed. “Ugh, you’re too perfect. What a wonderful costume, you giant nerd.”

“Aw, thanks, Trish,” Jeff chuckled as he walked around the couch in order to drop down into Riker’s lap. Riker grunted and pinched Jeff’s side lightly in retaliation. Jeff simply smiled down at Riker and then snatched Riker’s drink out of his hand in order to take a drink.

“I don’t get who you are,” Henry said in a confused voice. Jeff hummed and held out a finger to Henry as he swallowed the drink.

“Eragon Shadeslayer, at your service,” Jeff informed primly as he stood up to gesture grandly. Riker smiled fondly at Jeff and Jeff caught Riker’s eye to smile back.

“The biggest nerd in all the land,” Riker commented as he pulled Jeff back into his lap. Jeff simply giggled and hugged Riker around the neck.

“Says the one who decided to be Ned Bigby as Wild Boy,” Jeff scoffed as he ruffled Riker’s hair.

“He just wanted to show off his abs,” Trish laughed as she reached out to poke Riker’s stomach.

“Probably,” Jeff agreed as he pat Riker’s abdomen softly. “He refused to take up my offer of betting how many girls were going to hit on him tonight, though.”

“Wow, what a loser,” Henry laughed. Riker just rolled his eyes and poked Jeff’s sides. Jeff squawked and then shoved himself out of Riker’s lap.

“ _Evil_ ,” Jeff hissed dramatically before he darted off in order to tackle Carter.

“You sure have yourself attached to quite the human being,” Henry breathed as he shook his head. Riker simply nodded in agreement as he watched Jeff fondly.

“I couldn’t ask for anyone better, though. He’s done me a lot of good in the past,” Riker added as he finally tore his gaze away from Jeff.

“And I’m sure he will do more good for you in the future too,” Trish crooned as she pinched Riker’s cheek lightly. “You guys are just too cute together.”

“You make it sound like we are a couple,” Riker deadpanned. Trish shrugged and took the drink from Henry in order to take a sip.

“Sometimes it seems like you guys are. The line blurs for you guys,” Trish added as she handed Henry back the cup. “I don’t think it would surprise anyone if you randomly announced you two were _romantic_ soul mates, not platonic.”

“Whatever,” Riker breathed out before he took the last gulp of his drink. Trish and Henry both shrugged and then turned their attention towards each other as Riker shoved up from the couch.

“Riker! Drinking game! Let’s go!” George suddenly bugled as he jumped at Riker.

“Whoa there, man!” Riker laughed as he partially dodged George’s jump.

“C’mon. Less talking, more drinking,” George hiccupped as he clapped Riker on the shoulder. Riker just smiled and followed George over to the group gathered on the floor. Jeff smiled up at Riker as Riker went to sit next to him, and Riker smiled back.

“Okay, guys. We should all be familiar with drunk truth at this point,” Lily breathed out as she shifted slightly in her spot between Carter and Dylan. Everyone bugled out happily and Lily smiled as she began to pass out the plastic shot glasses. They all cheered happily as they accepted their plastic glasses and George passed the bottle around so everyone could fill them.

“Who’s first?” Carter asked. Kyle bugled out in excitement, throwing his hands into the air. The rest of them all laughed and then fell into the game easily once Kyle shot out the first question to Emma.

000000

“I surprisingly d-don’t feel _th-that_ drunk,” Jeff hiccupped later as he and Riker stumbled back to their room. Riker giggled manically and pushed lightly at Jeff’s shoulder.

“You’re _so drunk_ , dude,” Riker informed with a smile. Jeff shrugged his shoulders dramatically and then giggled as he began to wiggle his arms around.

“I’ve been drunker, though,” Jeff chirped as he looked over at Riker with a goofy grin. “Like that night you and Selena got busy.”

“I think you’re mistaking _me_ for you,” Riker yawned as they approached their room. “I barely remember that night.”

“I got really drunk _after_ you and Selena hooked up,” Jeff informed as they stumbled into their room.

“Why?” Riker asked offhandedly as he watched Jeff attempt to strip off his costume.

“Didn’t like it,” Jeff replied through stubborn grunts as he tried to extract himself from his shirt. Riker smiled fondly and walked over in order to help Jeff remove the offending article of clothing. Jeff smiled in thanks once his face appeared, hair a messy halo around his head.

“You didn’t like what?” Riker asked as he pulled his leaf skirt off and dropped it onto the floor.

“You and Selena,” Jeff yawned as he pushed off his pants and then crawled into Riker’s bed without a second thought. “I knew she wasn’t right for you.”

“Well, technically no one is as _right_ for me as _you_ , so there’s that,” Riker commented as he climbed onto his bed next to Jeff. Jeff released a small hum and immediately curled into Riker’s side. Riker smiled and pulled the blankets over their bodies in order to keep Jeff’s body warmth close.

“I know _that_ , but it still wasn’t right,” Jeff informed as he closed his eyes and rested his head on Riker’s chest.

“It wasn’t meant to be something that lasted. It was a drunken hook up,” Riker said. Jeff simply shrugged and released a heavy sigh.

“I just didn’t like it,” Jeff repeated with finality. Riker shrugged to himself and buried his fingers in Jeff’s hair. Jeff hummed happily and leaned into the touch as his breath slowed down.

“Jeff?” Riker asked a few minutes later into the silence.

“Hm?” Jeff questioned without moving.

“I’m lucky to have you,” Riker whispered. Jeff opened his eyes then and shifted so he could prop his chin on top of Riker’s chest and stare up at Riker.

“I could say the same for you,” Jeff informed, eyes much clearer than they had been a few minutes prior. Riker smiled and pushed Jeff’s bangs out of his face. Jeff smiled as well and closed his eyes in content for a few seconds.

“I don’t think I could have survived everything with my dad without you. I’m grateful I have you,” Riker whispered sincerely.

“You’re so strong, Rikey. You would have made it through even if you hadn’t met me yet. You’re the strongest person I know and I am so proud to call you mine,” Jeff sighed happily as he looked up at Riker. Riker smiled and squeezed Jeff’s shoulders lightly. “You’ve been through a lot, and I’m grateful to have gone through it with you. I’m happy to be your person and be the one you go to. I wouldn’t ever choose anything different.”

“I love you,” Riker breathed. Jeff hummed happily and shifted in order to curl back into Riker’s side comfortably.

“I love you too,” Jeff whispered in response.

Riker simply looked down at Jeff then, watching as Jeff’s face went lax. Riker could feel as Jeff fell asleep, the rise and fall of his chest slowing and evening out. Riker wanted to fall asleep, but his brain was moving a mile a minute. He just observed Jeff quietly as he thought, slowly starting to realize that maybe what he and Jeff had wasn’t platonic at all.

000000

Riker lay sprawled out on his bed, a blanket thrown over his head. He was attempting to fall asleep, but not succeeding. The sounds of his classmates joking around in the hallway floated into the room and Riker smiled slightly as he heard Lily squeal with laughter, quickly followed by a booming laugh from Joey.

“You’re so weird. All of your friends are hanging in the hallways, and you’re starfished out on your bed,” Alyssa’s voice suddenly laughed. Riker moved the blanket off of his head and looked over at Alyssa with a quirked eyebrow.

“How did you get here?” Riker asked in way of a greeting. Alyssa smiled and rolled her eyes as she walked over to drop down onto Riker’s bed with him.

“Derek dropped me off on his way home for Thanksgiving break,” she added as she rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin up on her hands.

“Ah, so he’s driving you home, now?” Riker asked with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow. Alyssa rolled her eyes and shoved at Riker playfully.

“We’ve been friends for two years, it’s not _that_ unusual,” she scoffed. Riker just smiled and pinched Alyssa’s cheek fondly.

“I’m just poking fun at you,” he told her before he yawned. “But it’s cute that he is offering to drop you off places.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Alyssa breathed as she waved her hand flippantly at Riker. “So, how’s it been with Jeffry?”

“It’s the same as usual,” Riker replied with a noncommittal shrug. Alyssa rolled her eyes and released a dramatic groan.

“You two are ridiculous,” Alyssa informed. “Like, are you guys still hooking up?”

“Please, take a look at my neck and then answer your own damn question,” Riker snorted. Alyssa huffed out a laugh and then poked at Riker’s neck where there was a large bruise.

“He certainly does a number on you,” she commented. “Have you given up trying to cover them up?”

“God, yeah. People figured out that I was hiding hickies. Once you hit that point, there is no real point doing it anymore,” Riker breathed out. “At least, not here. Everyone is a bunch of gossips.”

“You make a valid point,” Alyssa laughed. “However, these hickies seem to have increased in intensity.”

“They have,” Riker deadpanned. “He’s ridiculous.”

“He’s possessive. He’s marking his territory now that you’re letting it be seen,” Alyssa hummed. “Which is ridiculous since most people don’t know _who_ is marking their territory. He is very good at keeping his smugness to himself.”

“Only when he wants to. At this point he knows Joey and Lily know and he goes full force with them around,” Riker informed. Alyssa barked out a laugh and buried her face in Riker’s blankets.

“That’s hilarious,” she gasped out. “I can’t even imagine what it is going to be like for you later in life.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Riker hissed out. Alyssa made an interested noise and quirked an eyebrow at her younger brother.

“What? No denial of an impending relationship from you this time?” Alyssa questioned. Riker just gave her a deadpan look and then wormed his way beneath his covers. Alyssa squawked indignantly and attempted to pull Riker back out from under his blankets. “This isn’t fair if you hide yourself, Biker boy!”

“I will do as I please!” Riker replied as he gripped onto the blankets tighter in order to keep them safely around his body. Alyssa made a stubborn noise and then dropped herself on top of Riker. Riker grunted under her weight, but otherwise refused to do anything.

“Have you been keeping information from me, baby brother?” Alyssa sang out as she poked at Riker as best as she could.

“You’re a menace and I hate you,” Riker groaned.

“That means _yes_ ,” Alyssa giggled as she sat on top of Riker in order to throw her fists into the air triumphantly. “Have you talked to _Jeffry_ at all, or are you still being an emotionally constipated asshole?”

“You’re the worst,” Riker told her.

“I take that as a _no_ ,” Alyssa chirped as she flopped back out on top of Riker. “You really need to work on that, little brother.”

“And you need to work on not being a horrible menace. No wonder Derek was skeptical of you,” Riker grumbled.

“ _Harsh_ ,” Alyssa snorted. “Plus, you can’t compare yourself to me and Derek for _so many_ reasons. Firstly, Derek and I _actually_ communicate, unlike you and Jeffry. Which I honestly _do not_ understand since you guys have known each other since you were toddlers. It should literally just be second nature to talk to him.”

“Not about this stuff. It’s awkward and just _ugh_ ,” Riker gagged. Alyssa snorted and rolled her eyes before she rolled off of Riker in order to lie next to him instead of on top of him.

“Because you’re both ridiculous. I get you’re both probably self conscious, or whatever, but you’re also the least likely people to judge the other,” Alyssa hummed.

“Okay, but this isn’t the usual stuff that we deal with. This is legitimate emotions in relation to one another,” Riker retorted as he pulled his blanket down to peek over at Alyssa. “It’s not as easy as when one of us is having some kind of breakdown.”

“Only because you’re both stupid, teenage boys,” Alyssa said airily as she looked over at her younger brother. “You’re both so nervous about possibly upsetting the other, or whatever. You’re so caught up in your own heads that you forget you’re basically already in each other’s.”

“Again, you’re the worst,” Riker deadpanned as he pulled his blanket back over his face. Alyssa snorted out a laugh and poked at Riker’s side through the blanket.

“You’re just bitter because you know I’m right and you don’t like when I’m right,” she giggled. Riker made a stubborn noise in response and then blindly kicked out in Alyssa’s direction. “Ha! You missed me!”

“Next time I won’t, you heathen,” Riker hissed out as he briefly moved his blanket to glare at his older sister. Alyssa simply rolled her eyes and smiled as she settled more into the bed next to Riker.

“You’re just getting annoyed because you know I speak the truth,” Alyssa sighed out. “But at least I’m not Curtis. He would just be sobbing and hugging you and wailing about how cute everything is. He can be very reminiscent of Dad.”

“God, you’re telling me. Someone posted a picture of Jeff and me together and smiling at Halloween and he posted, like, fifteen different comments on it filled with exclamation points and hearts and emojis,” Riker groaned. Alyssa hiccupped out a laugh and ran her hands over her face.

“I’m not even surprised, if I’m being perfectly honest,” she breathed. “But, at least it _isn’t_ Dad. He would have been a bazillion times _worse_.”

“God, I know,” Riker sighed as he smiled slightly. “I still remember when Jeff came out to us and I swore Dad was going to throw him a party.”

“Dude, he was already planning your wedding and how you should have children,” Alyssa informed through a snort.

“I…I am honestly not surprised,” Riker said quietly as he stared up at the ceiling. “He’s probably shaking his fist at me and Jeff right now.”

“Oh, I’m sure he has moved onto his creative, kid friendly swears,” Alyssa cackled.

“ _Oh, for cheese and crackers sakes, kids_ …” Riker imitated as he waved his hands around like Ryan would have. Alyssa squeaked out a laugh and slapped her hand against Riker’s chest. “ _Oh, for the love of all that is poopy, help me stay sane_.”

“God, there was something wrong with him,” Alyssa sighed as she wiped tears of laughter away from her eyes. Riker hummed in agreement and curled into Alyssa’s side.

“I wouldn’t have traded him for anyone else though. Ridiculous kid friendly swears and all,” Riker breathed. Alyssa nodded and released a long sigh as they curled together.

“Do you ever think about if he would be proud of us or not?” Alyssa questioned.

“All the time,” Riker answered. “He would probably be worrying about you not finding your soul mate while trying to push Jeff and me together. Then you would eventually reveal you’ve known yours for years and it would take enough attention off of me and Jeff that we could just sneak by.”

“I’m going to ignore the bigger part of that statement there and just say I agree,” Alyssa giggled.

“Good,” Riker huffed out.

“Aw, look at the siblings all cuddled together,” Jeff cooed as he walked into the room and then kicked the door shut.

“Hello, Jeffry,” Alyssa chirped as she waved at Jeff cheerily.

“Hello, Alyssa. How did you happen to arrive here today?” Jeff asked as he dropped his bag onto the ground and then climbed onto the bed with Riker and Alyssa.

“Derek drove me,” Alyssa told him as she shifted in order to compensate for Jeff in the small space.

“Cute,” Jeff commented as he sprawled out on top of Riker and rested his head on Riker’s chest. Alyssa rolled her eyes at the comment and Riker snorted out a laugh as he buried his fingers in Jeff’s hair.

“I told her the same thing,” Riker added.

“Because we’re on the same wavelength, Rikey,” Jeff breathed out as he relaxed against Riker’s chest and leaned into Riker’s fingers against his scalp.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Alyssa snorted as she stretched her arms above her head to pop her spine. Riker and Jeff both gave her slight glares and she giggled at them. “God, you’re so in sync that it’s scary sometimes.”

“Whatever,” Jeff yawned as he turned away from Alyssa to bury his face in Riker’s neck. Riker just smiled and wrapped his arms around Jeff’s shoulders tightly.

“So, what is going on tonight since you guys are all free?” Alyssa asked.

“Who knows. Shit just happens on the fly with our friends,” Riker informed with a small shrug. Jeff made a noise in agreement, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Yeah it does! C’mon, kiddos! Bubble and paint party!” Lily suddenly exclaimed as she burst into the room with Joey and Carter behind her. Jeff groaned dramatically while Riker barked out a laugh. Alyssa giggled and got up from Riker’s bed easily in order to bounce over to Lily and jump at her. Lily giggled as well and latched back onto Alyssa for a tight hug.

“C’mon, love birds,” Joey laughed as he walked over to poked at both Jeff and Riker’s sides. Jeff hissed and pushed at Joey’s hands while Riker yelped and then laughed.

“Come have some fun with your friends before we don’t see you for, like, six days!” Carter bugled as he walked over to pull Jeff off of Riker.

“Carter, we are probably going to see you over break, shut up,” Jeff grumbled, even as he allowed himself to be pulled up from the bed.

“Semantics,” Carter scoffed as he waved at hand dismissively at Jeff.

“Bubbles! Paint! Let’s go!” Lily squeaked as she began to skip down the hallway and pulled Alyssa with her. Riker just smiled and got up from his bed in order to follow behind his friends. Jeff smiled back at Riker and held his hand out to Riker as he wiggled his fingers. Riker’s smile widened and he slid his hand into Jeff’s easily as they trailed after their friends.

000000

“Mom, _stop fussing_ ,” Riker complained as he stubbornly shoved at Miri’s hands as she tried to smooth down his hair. Miri scoffed as then pinched Riker’s cheek lightly.

“I will fuss all I want,” Miri added as she placed her hands on her hips and stared at her son. “You’re the one saying you want to go back to see Elizabeth. You haven’t done that in a year. Are you feeling like you’re going to relapse?”

“Sometimes, but that’s not the bigger part of why I want to go,” Riker replied as he pulled away from his mother’s grip. “And I’m not going to tell you, either. That’s the point of going to see _Elizabeth_.”

“Mom, just leave him alone. He’s an angsty teenager. He’s not gonna tell you anything,” Alyssa commented airily as she walked into the living room and dropped down onto the couch.

“Valid. I never told you anything when I was his age,” Curt chuckled as he walked into the room as well.

“You never talked to me, Curtis,” Miri deadpanned as she gave Curt a sarcastic look. Curt snorted and shrugged as he sat down next to Alyssa and pulled her roughly into his side. Alyssa made a stubborn noise, but then relaxed into Curt’s side easily.

“That’s because Curt didn’t want you to judge his life,” Alyssa snorted. Curt made an indignant noise and poked Alyssa’s sides. She squawked and then laughed as she pushed back at Curt, who laughed back.

“I judged his life anyway, so it would not have mattered,” Miri sniffed out.

“I mean, Dad did expose me for having porn in my possession when I was, like, eighteen soooo,” Curt breathed out with a shrug.

“That’s because you were stupid enough to _save_ stuff to your computer, Curtis,” Riker snorted as he smirked over at his older brother, whose jaw dropped as he looked over at Riker.

“Little brother!” Curt exclaimed. “I am _scandalized_!”

“Oh, please. He’s a teenage boy. _Of course_ he has watched porn,” Alyssa scoffed. Miri simply heaved out a sigh and then shook her head as she left the room.

“Aw, we have driven Mom out of the room,” Riker laughed as he walked over and collapsed onto the reclining chair.

“I mean, what did you expect when we brought up porn?” Curt asked. Riker shrugged and pulled the hood of his hoodie up over his head. “But seriously, do you just not save your porn?”

“You literally don’t have to. The internet is a wonderful place of free porn. And all porn that I have seen has not really been of my own doing,” Riker informed. Alyssa raised her eyebrows at Riker then and he smiled innocently.

“I swear to god, I do _not_ want to know what the hell you two get up to in your dorm,” she breathed out. Riker laughed and shot her a wink.

“Like you don’t know,” he added.

“Ugh! You’re disgusting,” Alyssa gagged as she made a face at Riker. Riker cackled at his sister and Curt looked between them.

“Has there been something going on that I don’t know about?” Curt questioned as he continued to look between his siblings skeptically.

“No,” Riker informed.

“Yes!” Alyssa chirped at the same time. Riker sent a glare in his sister’s direction and Alyssa shrugged as she smiled at him. “He already asked me about who attacked your neck earlier.”

“Yeah! Seriously. It looks like they have aspirations to be a vampire,” Curt snorted as he looked over at Riker with an amused glint in his eyes.

“They used to, so there’s that,” Riker replied with a small shrug.

“The hickies have nothing to do with aspirations to be an undead creature and _everything_ to do with possession,” Alyssa giggled. Riker just rolled his eyes and slumped down in his chair. Braxton walked into the room then and immediately walked over to jump onto Riker’s abdomen. Riker smiled and pet Braxton between the ears, causing Braxton to purr happily.

“Okay, but _who_ is giving you said hickies?” Curt asked as he stared Riker down.

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough. Don’t pester him or else he will retreat into his shell like a damn turtle,” Alyssa snorted as she poked Curt’s side. Curt rolled his eyes and poked Alyssa back while Riker rolled his eyes at them.

“You’re both ridiculous,” Riker informed as he continued to pet Braxton while Braxton purred loudly.

“Hark who is talking,” Alyssa retorted as she looked over at Riker with a raised eyebrow. “I have a lot of dirt on you, buddy. Don’t make me use it against you.”

“Same goes for you, dumbass,” Riker replied as he looked over at Alyssa with raised eyebrows. “They’re gonna be more offended by yours than mine, so you better watch yourself.”

“Valid point. I surrender,” Alyssa said as she held up her hands to Riker, who smiled smugly and nodded once before he returned his attention to the cat that was settled happily in his lap.

“You’re both _obviously_ keeping things from me, and I don’t like it,” Curt grumbled petulantly.

“Curt, stop sounding like a wounded kid. You’re twenty-five, not five,” Riker laughed. Curt simply stuck out his tongue at Riker in retaliation and then jut out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

“Do I even _want_ to know what has been going on in this room?” Jeff sighed as he breezed into the room and picked Braxton up in order to drop into Riker’s lap.

“Riker and Alyssa are apparently blackmailing each other while avoiding telling me who is sucking on Riker’s neck,” Curt informed. Jeff froze slightly in Riker’s lap and Braxton growled lowly as he squished himself between the arm of the chair and Jeff’s leg.

“I already said, you’ll find out when the time comes,” Alyssa said primly as she poked at Curt’s stomach. Jeff seemed to relax slightly and Riker snorted as he squeezed Jeff’s side lightly.

“You’re terrible siblings,” Curt told them.

“Oh no. How will I sleep at night,” Riker deadpanned while Alyssa giggled.

“I’m not even your sibling, but you’re no peach, Curtis,” Jeff chirped as he slung an arm around Riker’s shoulders and buried his fingers in Riker’s hair.

“And Jeff’s probably the worst of his siblings, so you know that’s saying something,” Alyssa cackled.

“No, _Blaine_ is the worst and you know it,” Jeff countered as he looked over at Alyssa sarcastically. Alyssa stopped for a minute and then nodded.

“True. He likes to be in everyone’s business when he is around,” she agreed. “Poor Jonas didn’t know what he had gotten into the first time he met our families.”

“No, he did not,” Jeff giggled as he shifted slightly in Riker’s lap. Riker hummed in agreement and draped an arm around Jeff’s waist. Curt eyed the two teens and then quirked an eyebrow at Riker with a small smirk. Riker simply rolled his eyes at his older brother, but otherwise ignored the look. Curt snorted and then turned in order to whisper something in Alyssa’s ear. Alyssa snorted out a giggle and then nodded in response with a fond roll of her eyes.

“No gossiping,” Riker admonished.

“Excuse me! What were you and Alyssa doing before Jeffry arrived!” Curt squawked as he looked over at Riker with wide eyes. Riker simply smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders. Curt made a face at Riker and Jeff chuckled before he launched himself off of Riker’s lap in order to tackle Curt. Curt squawked, but then laughed as he latched onto Jeff and began to tickle his sides.

“I regret all my life decisions!” Jeff squealed out as he attempted to worm his way out of Curt’s hold. Curt just cackled and held on tighter while Alyssa grumbled and moved farther away from Jeff and Curt.

“Same. Why did I decide to sit with Curtis when I know he starts ridiculous fights,” Alyssa deadpanned.

“Technically _Jeffry_ started this one,” Riker chuckled as he watched Jeff and Curt squabble. Alyssa nodded once in agreement and then reached over to push at the two fighting boys.

“Stop now. Jesus,” Alyssa laughed. “You both already have soul mates to fight with. Stop being ridiculous.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Curt hissed out as he turned his attention away from Jeff. Jeff bugled triumphantly and used Curt’s distraction in order to pull away from his hold.

“You didn’t even try to save me,” Jeff pouted as he crawled over to Riker and stared up at him with wide eyes and a jut out bottom lip. Riker snorted and reached out to tap the end of Jeff’s nose.

“You didn’t really _need_ saving. You got yourself into the situation,” Riker replied with a smile. Jeff rolled his eyes and then leaned forward to butt his head into Riker’s knee.

“You’re the worst,” Jeff added before he shoved himself back into Riker’s lap. Riker squeaked out a laugh and then latched onto Jeff tightly. Braxton hissed in annoyance as he jumped out of Riker’s lap and then left the room with an angry flick of the tail.

“Aw, but I’m still _yours_ ,” Riker whispered out. Jeff giggled manically then and buried his face in Riker’s neck in order to bite at the skin. Riker squawked indignantly and then pushed at Jeff with a laugh. “No more!”

“Such a pity,” Jeff breathed as he bat his eyelids at Riker, who snorted and pushed at Jeff’s face.

“The two of you are ridiculous,” Alyssa breathed out as she passed by and ruffled Riker’s hair. Curt hummed in agreement as he repeated Alyssa’s actions as both of them left the room.

“You’re just bitter you’re not as cute as us!” Jeff called out after them. Riker laughed and then poked at Jeff’s sides before he darted forward to bite at Jeff’s neck playfully. Jeff squealed out a giggle and hugged Riker tightly.

“C’mon. Upstairs,” Riker chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Jeff tightly and then stood up.

“God, what are you? A caveman?” Jeff asked through laughter.

“Yes!” Riker bugled as he shifted Jeff onto his shoulder. Jeff burst into a fit of giggles and latched onto the back of Riker’s shirt tightly.

“Put me down, demon!” Jeff squeaked out.

“Never!” Riker exclaimed as he thrust one fist into the air and then ran up the stairs as best as he could with a laughing Jeff thrown over his shoulder.

000000

“You have a serious problem,” Riker huffed out later as he looked down at Jeffry, who had his mouth attached to Riker’s ribs. Jeff smiled against Riker’s skin and then huffed out a laugh as he moved up Riker’s body in order to lie down on top of Riker. Riker smiled and wrapped his arms around Jeff’s shoulders to hug him tightly.

“I never hear you complaining,” Jeff hummed as he nipped at Riker’s jaw. Riker made a small noise and tipped his head to the side slightly. Jeff giggled against Riker’s skin and then pulled away in order to kiss Riker briefly. “Again, _I don’t hear you complaining_.”

“Oh, _shush_ ,” Riker snorted out as he rolled in order to push Jeff onto his back. Jeff giggled and buried his face back in Riker’s neck. “You also like to make a lot of noise about control, but you sure seem to like _giving it up_.”

“Hey now!” Jeff exclaimed as he slapped at Riker’s shoulders. Riker simply barked out a laugh and then ducked down to bite at Jeff’s neck. Jeff hummed happily and sank into the touch, body going lax beneath Riker.

“You’re ridiculous,” Riker breathed out against Jeff’s skin. Jeff released a small moan and dug his nails into Riker’s back.

“You’re no one to talk,” Jeff whispered back as he turned his head in order to press his cheek to Riker’s temple. Riker shrugged and nuzzled into Jeff’s neck while Jeff chuckled quietly to himself.

“I never claimed to _not_ be ridiculous,” Riker finally answered as he brought his head up in order to rest his chin on Jeff’s chest.

“Well, good, because you _are_ ,” Jeff giggled as he reached up to squish Riker’s cheeks together. Riker smiled into Jeff’s hands and then shifted into a more comfortable position on top of Jeff, their legs easily slotting together.

“I’m not the one in denial about it,” Riker chirped. Jeff rolled his eyes and then ruffled Riker’s hair roughly. Riker snorted out a laugh and shook his hair out once Jeff pulled his hands away.

“I never said I was in denial, either,” Jeff said. Riker hummed in agreement and began to trace patterns across Jeff’s chest slowly. Jeff made a content noise and reached out to run his fingers through Riker’s hair slowly. Riker sighed happily and turned to press his cheek to Jeff’s chest as he continued to trace random patterns against Jeff’s skin with his fingers. “You’re being awfully quiet. Something you’re thinking about?”

“Mmh. Thinkin’ about you. You’re very important to me,” Riker whispered out. Jeff hummed in interest, fingers still moving slowly through Riker’s hair. “You’re my _soul mate_.”

“I know,” Jeff whispered back as he squeezed Riker’s shoulders.

“You _know_?” Riker accused as he shifted to look up at Jeff, who snorted quietly as he looked back down at Riker.

“Yes, _I know_ ,” Jeff informed. “I’ve known since the summer.”

“The summer,” Riker deadpanned.

“Mhm,” Jeff hummed as he resumed threading his fingers through Riker’s hair.

“And you didn’t say anything?” Riker asked. Jeff’s fingers paused and he looked down at Riker with a quirked eyebrow.

“Would you have said anything?” Jeff retorted as his fingers started to move through Riker’s hair again.

“Point,” Riker sighed as he pressed his cheek back to Jeff’s chest. “Sorry it took me a while to figure it out.”

“You’re worth the wait,” Jeff assured in a whisper. Riker shifted to look up at Jeff with a happy glint in his eye.

“You’re more than I deserve,” Riker whispered. Jeff snorted and pulled Riker up to kiss him deeply.

“We’re exactly what the other needs. Deserving one another is not a question,” Jeff informed as he pressed their foreheads together. Riker huffed out a small laugh and then nuzzled his nose into Jeff’s cheek.

“Dad is probably throwing confetti in the air right now,” Riker said.

“Do _not_ talk about your father while we are naked in bed together,” Jeff cackled as he pushed at Riker’s shoulders and kicked lightly at Riker’s legs. Riker barked out a laugh and then launched back at Jeff to bite at Jeff’s neck. Jeff snorted and wrapped his arms and legs around Riker tightly.

“Mine,” Riker growled out while Jeff continued to giggle.

“Mmh, and you’re _mine_ ,” Jeff breathed out through a laugh.

“As if the massive amounts of hickies didn’t already say that,” Riker scoffed. Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes fondly as he squeezed his limbs around Riker.

“Those are superficial and you know it,” Jeff informed.

“Still a form of claiming,” Riker sang as he poked at Jeff’s sides. Jeff squawked out a laugh and then rolled his hips. “Oo, trying to play _dirty_ , are we?”

“We both know you’re the dirty player here,” Jeff gasped as Riker shifted against Jeff purposefully. Riker chuckled and repeated his actions, making Jeff throw his head back.

“Yet you never complain,” Riker breathed. Jeff just smiled and rolled his eyes once again before he sealed their mouths together as they both chuckled.

000000

A month later found Riker and Jeff curled up on the reclining chair in the Castellan living room as they watched Christmas movies with their siblings while their parents talked in another room. Curt, Maya, and Alyssa were piled together on the couch with Jeff’s dog, Mr. Chubby, while Eliana and Blaine were sprawled across the floor and playing with Braxton. Arya and Jonas were curled up on the loveseat and snorting as they watched Eliana and Blaine with amusement.

Jeff watched his siblings with a fond look on his face as he ran his fingers gently through Riker’s hair. Riker leaned into the touch and released a long breath as he closed his eyes. Jeff looked down at Riker and smiled as he tipped their heads together. Riker smiled back and then rested his head on Jeff’s shoulder as Jeff continued to comb his fingers through Riker’s hair.

“Better today?” Jeff asked quietly, even as he eyed the dark bags beneath Riker’s eyes. Riker simply nodded against Jeff’s shoulder, eyes still closed.

“You should know as we didn’t spend the _entire_ night awake for the first time in a week,” Riker added in a whisper as he curled closer to Jeff’s side. Jeff hummed in agreement and gently pressed his lips to Riker’s forehead briefly.

“You said you’re going to Elizabeth again tomorrow, yeah?” Jeff asked. Riker nodded once more and then released a long sigh before he opened his eyes.

“I feel like I’ve disappointed her, or something. Like, I started to go back to just talk things out. I didn’t think I was going to relapse like _this_ ,” Riker breathed out. Jeff immediately made a stubborn noise and pulled Riker closer.

“You are _not_ a disappointment. Relapses happen. You only got off of meds a year and a half ago and you’ve done much better than any of us expected. You can’t blame yourself for this happening, Rike. That just feeds even more into the issue,” Jeff told Riker forcefully as he looked Riker in the eye. Riker simply gave a small nod and blinked once before he lowered his head back to Jeff’s shoulder.

“I appreciate you,” Riker whispered out. Jeff snorted and nudged Riker’s forehead with his nose.

“I love you too much to let you think that bullshit about yourself,” Jeff answered as he shifted slightly to pull Riker in even more.

“Yeah, yeah, love you too,” Riker huffed out with a small smile as he sank into Jeff’s side.

“Damn right, you do,” Jeff chuckled before he wrapped his arms around Riker’s shoulders tightly and nipped at Riker’s cheeks. Riker laughed and pushed at Jeff, who only growled and held on even tighter. “No escaping the Jeffy Monster.”

“The Jeffy Monster needs to watch his _teeth_ ,” Riker squealed quietly as he tried to push at Jeff’s face. Jeff cackled and darted in to nip at Riker’s cheek once more before he blew against it loudly.

“Jeffy Monster wins!” Jeff bugled as Riker giggled hysterically next to him. Arya, Jonas, Eliana, and Blaine all looked over at the pair with raised eyebrows while Alyssa, Curt, and Maya all snorted with laughter.

“Jeffy Monster never wins!” Riker retorted as he turned and tackled Jeff against the arm of the chair and tickled Jeff’s sides. Jeff squawked and then began to laugh as he attempted to swat Riker away while Riker laughed manically. “Rikey Monster shall prevail!”

“Never!” Jeff exclaimed breathlessly as he wormed his way out from beneath Riker and took off across the living room to the dining room. Riker barked out a laugh and followed after Jeff easily. Mr. Chubby barked in excitement and followed after the pair, tongue lolled out of his mouth happily and tail wagging.

“ _I win_!” Riker bugled as he caught up to Jeff and tossed Jeff over his shoulder. Jeff laughed and latched onto Riker’s shirt tightly as Riker marched back over to the chair and then dropped Jeff onto it. Jeff hiccupped out a laugh as he landed and then giggled as Riker tackled him into the cushions and bit at Jeff’s neck.

“You’re a literal monster,” Jeff giggled as he pushed at Riker’s shoulders and tangled their legs together. Riker simply chuckled and then settled against Jeff’s chest as he looked up at Jeff with a smile on his face.

“God, were we ever that way, Jo?” Arya suddenly asked as she looked up at Jonas, who snorted and shook his head. Riker and Jeff just froze and looked at each other with wide eyes.

“Oh, _please_ , guys. You know you’re ridiculous. I’m just happy you finally _talked_ to each other,” Alyssa scoffed as she adjusted so Braxton could jump into her lap. “The denial act was getting _really old_.”

“You don’t know anything,” Riker grumbled as he stared stubbornly over at his sister. Alyssa simply gave him a deadpan look and then turned her attention back to Braxton.

“I can tell you finally talked it out, shut up. You’re being even more ridiculous than normal. Jeff didn’t usually go in for the neck when around others,” Alyssa informed.

“You’re a demon,” Jeff informed as he stuck his tongue out at Alyssa, who shrugged in response.

“I try,” Alyssa sighed out while Maya and Curt laughed beside her.

“Wait, so do we not have to try and pretend Riker and Jeff aren’t _legit_ soul mates anymore?” Blaine asked loudly. Riker and Jeff exchanged a shocked glance then as Miri, Anne, and Jack all came into the room with questioning expressions.

“What are you talking about?” Jeff finally squawked.

“Mom, Dad, Ryan, and Miri made us all promise not to interfere as you guys got older,” Eliana deadpanned as she allowed Mr. Chubby to climb into her lap. “They said you needed to figure it out on your own, or something. I was only five when all of this happened. I barely understood.”

“You understood more than the two three year olds,” Anne admonished. Eliana simply looked up at her mother and shrugged. Riker looked over at Miri accusingly and Miri smiled back innocently.

“We all knew. I mean, we weren’t sure it was going to be _romantic_ when it first happened, but that became very apparent before you guys even turned four,” Miri informed. “There was a reason why Ryan was so fanatic about the two of you. He’s the one who figured it out first. He used to get extremely emotional about you guys as you were growing up. It’s about time you figured it out.”

“God, this family is the worst,” Jeff breathed out as he rolled his eyes. Riker nodded in agreement and shifted to sit next to Jeff instead of on top of him.

“It was rough watching you guys with Sean and Natalie,” Curt informed. “I nearly yelled at the two of you multiple times last year.”

“Oh, they did plenty of yelling at each other when it came to Sean and Natalie,” Alyssa snorted. “Jeffry still calls Natalie the _literal spawn of Satan_.”

“Because she is!” Jeff squawked.

“Only to you,” Eliana deadpanned. “She was perfectly fine to the rest of us all throughout school. She used to complain about you constantly, though. She was convinced it took her all of her junior year to start to get at Riker because of you. She wasn’t wrong. I just never informed her as to _why_ it was that way.”

“Yeah. Because the rest of the school thought they were just platonic soul mates,” Alyssa snorted as she inspected her fingernails.

“You’re all terrible,” Jeff sniffed out stubbornly while Riker snorted and nuzzled into Jeff’s neck.

“You were always the protective type,” Riker commented quietly. “You were way worse about Natalie than I ever was about Sean.”

“Yes and no. You took your anger out during soccer practice, from what my informants that year told me. You just didn’t bitch Jeffry out for no reason,” Alyssa chirped. Riker turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow then and Alyssa stared back.

“You have _informants_?” Riker accused. Alyssa looked at her brother innocently and blinked once.

“Only two, and they’re both on the soccer team with you,” Alyssa replied as she turned her attention back to her fingernails. Riker heaved out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I swear, I am going to _kill_ Carter and Joseph,” Riker hissed out.

“I never said they were my informants,” Alyssa hummed. Riker rolled his eyes and looked over at his sister.

“Those are the only two on the soccer team you talk to. You don’t talk to George or Henry enough for them to be your informants,” Riker deadpanned. Alyssa stopped her ministrations picking at her cuticles and looked up.

“Well, shit. You’re right,” she breathed out. “Just don’t kill them. I liked to keep tabs on you and you’re close with both of them.”

“God, our siblings are the worst, and Alyssa is the worst out of all of them,” Jeff sighed out. Alyssa preened at the comment while Curt snorted next to her and ruffled her hair.

“Aw, I’m glad it has been delegated away from me!” Blaine chirped with a wide smile.

“Don’t look so pleased. You’re second in the demon line,” Jeff informed as he glared over at his older brother. Blaine pouted for a second before he shrugged in acceptance.

“You kids sure know how to poke and prod at each other,” Anne breathed out as she looked around at all of them.

“I mean, we grew up together. It was a learning process,” Curt chuckled as he lifted his arm so Maya could lean into his side.

“Yeah, and now you’ve pulled poor Maya in. She hasn’t fully realized what she’s gotten into, yet,” Jonas chuckled. “And I speak from experience.”

“At least we have each other for sanity, Jonas,” Maya laughed as she winked over at Jonas, who nodded once in agreement and reached out to give Maya a high five.

“I don’t know how much you can count on Maya since she is already _reproducing_ with Curtis,” Alyssa snorted over at Jonas. “That’s a whole different level of insanity.”

“She makes a valid point,” Eliana agreed as she leaned back on her palms.

“Yeah. They’re already bringing spawn into the world. Can’t count on Maya for sanity,” Riker chuckled as he looked over at Jonas.

“Hark who is talking!” Alyssa cackled. “If either you or Jeff was female, I could bet you would be in the same spot.”

“One, we are both way too knowledgeable and smart about sex for that to happen. _Two_ , wrong, because we haven’t had sex,” Jeff informed as he looked over at Alyssa with a quirked eyebrow. Miri, Anne, and Jack all exchanged a glance and quickly left the room then while Curt, Alyssa, Blaine, Eliana, and Arya all gave Riker and Jeff disbelieving looks.

“Excuse me, are you telling me you guys haven’t done the deed yet?” Curt deadpanned.

“Yes,” Riker and Jeff informed in unison.

“No, that’s a lie. You’re lying,” Blaine argued as he looked at the two teens. “There’s no way.”

“There is every way,” Jeff snorted.

“Not with the way Riker’s neck has been looking,” Alyssa countered as she looked at Jeff.

“Jeff’s a possessive asshole. That has nothing to do with sex,” Riker replied with a small shrug.

“For most people it does,” Eliana snorted. Riker and Jeff both shrugged then as they settled back together.

“I’m just baffled because I know you guys were hooking up,” Alyssa breathed out as she looked at Riker and Jeff with wide eyes.

“Lots of things count as _hooking up_ without any penetration, Alyssa,” Jeff informed smugly. Riker made a small noise as he turned to look at Jeff, but Jeff stopped Riker with a small squeeze to the knee and a quirked eyebrow. Riker closed his mouth and shrugged as he sank back into the chair.

“I don’t even _want_ to know what was about to be said,” Arya breathed out as she rubbed at her temples.

“No, you don’t,” Jeff snorted as he looked at Riker out of the corner of his eye and smirked. Riker blushed slightly and buried his face in Jeff’s shoulders while Alyssa and Curt gagged dramatically.

“Oh _please_. You were just the one insisting they’ve had sex,” Maya scoffed as she reached over to slap at Alyssa’s knee.

“That doesn’t mean I want to think about the mechanics of it,” Alyssa informed as she scrunched up her nose.

“You’re ridiculous,” Riker told her as he shook his head. Alyssa made a face at her younger brother and he did the same in response.

“Okay, kids! Finish up your inappropriate conversation! Dinner is ready!” Jack called out.

“Race you!” Eliana chirped as she shoved at Blaine’s shoulder and then got up to dart towards the dining room. Blaine squawked indignantly and took off after his twin.

“You’re a cheater!” Jonas exclaimed as he jumped up as well, following after Eliana’s cackles.

“And yet he claims to not be part of the insanity,” Jeff breathed with a shake of his head as he got up and then turned to pull Riker up.

“Anyone involved with these two families is insane. It’s just a good form of insanity,” Maya informed as she passed them with a smile. Riker and Jeff both smiled back and then looked at each other.

“They may be pains in the ass, but they’re _our_ pains in the ass,” Riker chuckled out. Jeff smiled widely and darted in to kiss Riker briefly.

“You’ve won me over with your AVPM references. Talk nerdy to me, baby,” Jeff whispered out. Riker simply snorted and shoved Jeff’s face away from his own before he began to walk into the dining room. Jeff just giggled and easily followed after Riker so they could all sit down and eat dinner together.

000000

“I _hate_ finals,” Riker groaned in the middle of May as he sprawled out in the grass next to his notebooks and textbooks. Jeff snorted next to him and reached out to pat Riker’s stomach.

“I’m pretty sure we _all_ hate finals, man,” Carter huffed out as he stared down at his own notes. Lily made a noise in agreement from where she was leaning into Carter’s side and then tossed her notebook to the side.

“I need a mental break for a bit. I feel like my brain is going to start oozing out of my ears, soon,” she complained. Riker made a noise in agreement and shifted around in order to rest his head on Jeff’s knee.

“You guys don’t even need to worry about your finals. You’re, like, top of the class,” Jeff scoffed. Riker and Lily both shrugged while Carter shook his head. “You should be more concerned about packing up your life from the dorm rooms.”

“ _Shh, no_! I don’t want to accept that yet!” Lily gasped as she looked over at Jeff with wide eyes. Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to his notes.

“I don’t think anyone in our class wants to accept it yet,” Riker added as he draped an arm over his eyes.

“What now?” Joey asked as he and Lauren dropped down onto the ground next to Riker and Jeff.

“None of us want to accept that we are leaving for good by the end of the month,” Jeff commented as he tossed his notes to the side and then wrapped his arms around Riker’s shoulders. Riker giggled to himself and pulled Jeff down to lay on top of him.

“One, the two of you are ridiculous. Two, of course no one wants to admit it,” Lauren commented as she leaned back on her palms and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “We’ve lived here with each other for the past four years and now that is all going to change.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Lily complained as she rolled onto the ground and sprawled her limbs out dramatically. Carter smiled fondly down at her and reached out to tap her nose. Lily scrunched up her nose in response and gave Carter a small smile.

“Ah, so has Carter finally figured it out?” Jeff asked offhandedly as he ran his fingers through Riker’s hair.

“Pretty sure he figured it out a month ago,” Riker commented as he shifted beneath Jeff to get more comfortable.

“ _Excuse me_?” Lily and Carter both squawked as they looked over at Riker and Jeff with wide eyes. Riker and Jeff looked back and then shrugged before Jeff rested his head on Riker’s chest.

“We both figured out it was Carter once you told us everything. We’re not stupid. That and on move in day freshman year he told us he had met his soul mate at some point during the day,” Jeff replied lazily.

“God, I hate the two of you,” Carter grumbled.

“I mean, we all kinda figured, we just never said anything,” Joey commented as he leaned against Lauren’s shoulder.

“Yeah. The two of you just seemed to orbit around each other in a similar way to Riker and Jeff,” Lauren hummed as she tipped her head against Joey’s. Carter and Lily both rolled their eyes while Riker and Jeff snorted.

“So, am I the only one present who still sees in grayscale?” Joey asked.

“Seems so,” Jeff chirped as he rolled of Riker in order to reach out and poke at Joey’s knee.

“Wait, _what_?” Lily squawked as she looked over at Lauren with wide eyes. Lauren looked back with a confused expression and Lily floundered in her direction. “Since when did you meet your soul mate?”

“Soul _mates_ 9,” Lauren corrected as she pointed in Lily’s direction. Lily’s brow furrowed in confusion as she inspected Lauren.

“One, do I know them? Two, how does that even _work_?” Lily asked breathlessly.

“One, yes, but I’m not telling you because most people don’t know who they are. Two, when I met the first one colors were muted. Once the second one came into the picture, colors came out in full force.”

“It seems less awe inspiring that way,” Joey breathed out.

“Probably, but I don’t know the difference. Same way these pairs don’t know the difference of colors appearing a bit slower,” Lauren replied with a small shrug.

“I don’t know if Jeff and I count since we don’t really _remember_ colors appearing,” Riker hummed out. “We were too young to know the difference.”

“Yeah. Like, I have a few early memories that I _know_ would be in grayscale, but I’ve known color so long that my brain just provides colors for the situation,” Jeff added with a noncommittal shrug. Riker nodded in agreement and then rolled onto his stomach.

“I’m kind of jealous of you guys for that. Like, childhood must have been so much wilder being able to see color,” Lily breathed out.

“Mostly they were obnoxious about it, to be honest,” Carter informed. “On Riker’s part it wasn’t on purpose. Sometimes with Jeffry it was.”

“It was easy to torture you,” Jeff chirped with a smirk. Carter rolled his eyes and then flipped off Jeff while Jeff snorted in amusement. “It’s mostly been weird since you guys have started to see color, though. Like, everyone asks _us_ about stuff.”

“Because we all know that you know about it,” Lauren snorted. “It’s the main reason you and Riker are some of the select few people who know who my soul mates are.”

“Aw, we are _honored_ ,” Riker said as he looked over at Lauren and bat his eyelids. Lauren smiled and rolled her eyes as she reached out with her foot to poke at Riker’s arm before she curled her knees up to her chest.

“You know the rest of us will find out one day,” Lily huffed out in annoyance.

“Well, _yeah_ , but we agreed to try and keep out of the public eye for as long as possible. Being a teen star is a mess,” Lauren replied. Riker, Jeff, and Joey all made noises in agreement while Carter shrugged at them.

“And you don’t have a say, Lilleth. You only _just_ started getting media attention. We’ve been in the public eye for nearly _four years_ ,” Joey said as he pointed over at Lily, who made a face at Joey in response.

“It’s tough to stay out of the public eye. Riker and I have been waiting to see when everything explodes,” Jeff snorted. Riker made a small noise and then slapped at Jeff’s shoulder.

“I got distracted by a phone call from Elizabeth earlier and forgot to tell you that Curt texted to say that it has started to explode slowly,” Riker chirped.

“Yeah?” Jeff asked as he looked over at Riker with interest.

“Mhm,” Riker replied with a small nod. “He said some girl found a picture and made a comment about how in love we look and blah, blah, blah. It exploded from there.”

“Huh. I’m surprised it has taken this long,” Jeff commented with a small shrug as he turned to look back up at the sky. “I thought I made everything pretty clear at the last red carpet we went to.”

“Apparently not,” Joey snorted. Riker and Jeff both nodded in agreement.

“Can we circle back for a second, though?” Lily suddenly asked. “You’ve been mentioning this _Elizabeth_ a lot this semester. Who is she?”

“She’s my therapist,” Riker told Lily as he tilted his head back to look at her.

“Therapist,” Lily deadpanned.

“Yeah. I’ve been seeing her since I was twelve. That’s why I’m on a first name basis with her,” Riker said as he lifted his arm to allow Jeff to curl into his side.

“How have I known you for four years and not known you go to a therapist?” Lily squawked.

“Because most people don’t know about it…?” Riker questioned. “Joey’s the only one here who knows everything.”

“Aside from me,” Jeff said as he poked at Riker’s chest. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he leaned over to kiss Jeff’s cheek.

“You didn’t have to be _told_ , though. You just lived through it,” Joey snorted as he reached out to push at Jeff’s head lightly. “Very different circumstances.”

“Valid point,” Jeff conceded.

“Also, are we just going to brush off that apparently the media has figured out Riker and Jeff and their soul mate status?” Lily asked as she indicated in their direction.

“Yes, because I care more about Riker’s impending older brother-dom,” Lauren laughed as she looked over at Riker.

“What about it?” Riker asked as he looked back at Lauren.

“Excited?” Lauren asked.

“If you had been present for the Castellan skype session when Miri told them they were going to be bringing Darren home, you would not be asking that,” Jeff deadpanned. Riker made a stubborn noise and pulled away from Jeff slightly in order to swat at him. Jeff barked out a laugh and then pulled Riker down in order to bite at his neck and cheeks. “Don’t be so stubborn. Your enthusiasm is adorable.”

“Your enthusiasm over Dalton is no better,” Riker grumbled.

“False. My enthusiasm for Dalton is dampened by the fact that I’m going to be away from you for two weeks,” Jeff informed. Riker crooned then and leaned over to kiss Jeff sweetly. Jeff hummed happily into the kiss and pecked a kiss to Riker’s nose once they broke apart.

“You two are honestly so _sickening_. I pray for your future children,” Carter gagged as he ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook, crumpled it up, and then threw it at them.

“Aw, you’re just jealous you and Lilleth aren’t as cute,” Riker chuckled as he threw the ball of paper back at Carter, who squawked and swat at the piece of paper.

“Granted, most of us don’t have the time with each other that you two have built up. I can’t even imagine what you guys were like together as toddlers,” Lauren laughed as she shook her head.

“Even worse than now. Miri has shown me home videos,” Joey informed with a smug smile. “They were so in sync that it was ridiculous. Their voices were so squeaky and cute and they sang Disney songs together.”

“I mean, we still sing Disney songs together…” Jeff commented.

“It’s not the same as with your adorable, baby voices, and you know it,” Joey told Jeff with a sarcastic expression. Jeff simply shrugged while Riker chuckled and nudged Jeff’s shoulder with his forehead.

“ _Anyway_ , rewinding topics again, I want to see the picture that sent people into a spiral,” Jeff chirped as he made grabby hands at Riker. Riker looked over at Jeff with a raised eyebrow and Jeff smiled innocently. “Don’t give me that look. I know Curtis sent you the picture. He’s nothing if not thorough about this stuff.”

“Yeah, I know,” Riker chuckled before he wormed around in order to get his phone out of his pocket. Jeff made an excited noise and grabbed for Riker’s phone immediately.

“What, do you not have a pass code on your phone?” Lily asked as she watched Jeff start to scroll excitedly through Riker’s phone.

“You think Jeffry doesn’t know his pass code?” Lauren chuffed out. “What are you, an amateur?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think of that,” Lily breathed out as Riker and Jeff leaned their heads together to look at the picture Curt had sent. Lily made an interested noise and scoot over to look at the picture as well. “Oh, okay, yeah. I can see why that picture sent the fans into a spiral.”

“What picture?” Joey asked. Riker simply turned his phone to show Joey the picture which showed Riker with his arm slung across Jeff’s shoulders while Jeff held onto Riker’s wrist at a recent event. Riker was leaning into Jeff’s space with his nose brushing against Jeff’s ear as he smiled. Jeff had a small, private smile on his face as well, eyes sparkling as Jeff glanced at Riker out of the corner of his eyes with his nose scrunched up happily.

“Oh, that’s so cute,” Lauren giggled as she looked at the picture as well. “Someone better blow that one up for your wedding.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Riker informed with a smile as he rolled his eyes over at Lauren. “I have a few of you and your pair that could rival.”

“ _Lies and slander, sir_!” Lauren gasped as she clapped a hand dramatically to her chest. “We would _never_ be so ridiculous!”

“You would and have,” Jeff told her in a bored voice as he snatched Riker’s phone back. “Most people just don’t really pay attention to see them because they don’t _know_.”

“You’re terrible,” Lauren hissed out. Jeff simply shrugged in response without taking his attention off of Riker’s phone.

“I don’t exist to be liked by you. I exist to keep Riker on an even keel,” Jeff added. Riker rolled his eyes at that and snatched his phone back from Jeff, who made a stubborn noise.

“Calm down, weirdo. I know your goal was to change my wallpaper. I know how to do that myself, thanks,” Riker chuckled. Jeff smiled and scrunched his nose up at Riker before he leaned over to blow a kiss against Riker’s cheek.

“Ugh, you’re gross. I’m going back to studying,” Carter grumbled as he tore grass out of the ground to throw at Riker and Jeff.

“You do that. I’m gonna go detox with musicals,” Riker commented as he pushed himself off from the ground and stretched his arms above his head.

“Ooo, I like the way you think!” Jeff squeaked as he got up as well and began to throw his books into his bag. Riker smiled and bumped their hips together before he began to gather his books as well.

“That sounds tempting,” Lily breathed out.

“Well, come on, then. Our notes will still be waiting for us after a movie or two,” Riker chuckled as he slung his bag over his shoulder and took Jeff’s hand into his.

“I’m right behind you, man,” Joey said as he got up and stretched his back. Lauren followed as well and looked back at Lily and Carter with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming,” Carter laughed as he and Lily gathered their notes and followed after the others up to Riker and Jeff’s dorm.

000000

“So, ready for your man to get back today?” Katie asked as she looked over at Riker and giggled. Riker snorted and rolled his eyes at her as he swung his feet back and forth since he was sitting on top of one of the parallel bars at the park.

“That’s a silly question, Katheryn,” Carter deadpanned through a snort. Katie shrugged and jumped off of the swing she had been on. Sabra looked between all of them and shrugged.

“Oh, you don’t even _know_ yet, Sabra,” Katie informed. “The two of them are _ridiculous_.”

“I mean, we have known each other since we were three and have never spent this much time away from each other,” Riker said with a one shouldered shrug.

“So? The two of you are still ridiculous,” Carter informed.

“I guess I will just have to wait and see,” Sabra giggled as she looked over at Riker, who rolled his eyes.

“How tan do you think Jeff is going to be?” Katie asked as she jumped up to hang off of the monkey bars.

“Oh, who cares about the tan? I wanna see how _blonde_ his hair got,” Carter cackled while Riker shook his head at the two of them.

“Where did he even go that you guys are talking about this?” Sabra asked.

“California,” Riker informed as he leaned back to rest his hands on the bar behind him. “He has family out there.”

“Have you ever visited with him?” Sabra asked. Riker shook his head in response and tilted his head to the side.

“He’s not immensely close with his family out there. The cousins he is close with don’t live out there anymore,” Riker added. Sabra nodded in understanding and then turned to watch as Carter and Katie battled to try and push the other off of the monkey bars.

“My bet is on Katie!” Sabra called out.

“Rude!” Carter yelped as he curled his legs up to avoid a kick to the shin. Katie cackled and attempted to kick at Carter again, who grunted in annoyance and kicked out wildly at his cousin while she giggled. Riker watched with a small smile on his face and then turned as he heard someone walking towards them. He immediately broke into a wide smile as he saw Jeff and Jeff smiled back as he giggled and then jumped at Riker.

“I missed you,” Jeff breathed out quickly before he sealed their mouths together. Riker hummed happily against Jeff’s mouth and wrapped his arms around Jeff in order to bring him closer. Jeff made a small noise and easily fit himself into the space between Riker’s legs as he latched onto the waistband of Riker’s shorts. Riker smiled and nipped at Jeff’s lip, which pulled a small groan from Jeff.

“I missed you too,” Riker gasped out as they broke apart for a few seconds. Jeff huffed out a laugh and pulled Riker back into the kiss. Riker hummed into it and thread his fingers into Jeff’s hair, pulling another small groan from Jeff.

“Okay, you two. You are in _public_ ,” Katie suddenly informed with a giggle. “I am no voyeur, and I know you are no exhibitionists.”

“Try me,” Jeff deadpanned in response. Riker barked out a laugh then and pulled Jeff tightly to his chest and kissed Jeff’s forehead.

“I love you, but no,” Riker added.

“Aw, _but, baaaabe_ ,” Jeff whined through a smile.

“Mmh, but if you behave, I can bend in half for you later,” Riker whispered into Jeff’s ear. Jeff’s pupils immediately widened and he stared at Riker hungrily with a smirk on his face.

“You’re a tease, and I don’t know why I love you,” Jeff informed. Riker smiled smugly and smacked one more kiss to Jeff’s forehead.

“ _Anyway_ , Jeff, this is Sabra. Her little sister befriended Darren while you were away. Sabra, this is Jeffry,” Riker said as he indicated between them. Sabra waved at Jeff with a smile on her face while Jeff inspected her for a few seconds before he waved back.

“She has a crush on you,” Jeff whispered as he turned back to Riker. Riker rolled his eyes and pulled Jeff back to his chest.

“You’re ridiculous,” Riker informed. “And just because you think that does _not_ mean you need to get all possessive in front of her. I am _yours_ and no one else’s.”

“It’s still fun to watch people squirm,” Jeff giggled as he smirked at Riker.

“I don’t even want to know why he has that look on his face,” Katie snorted as she walked up to them and clapped Jeff on the shoulder. “Welcome back, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Jeff chirped as he turned and pulled Katie into a tight hug.

“Oo! Do I get a hug too?” Carter asked.

“Oh, _for sure_ , Carter,” Jeff chuckled as he turned and then launched himself at Carter. Carter squawked and then grunted as they both hit the ground while Jeff cackled manically.

“God, you’re actually _the worst_ ,” Carter grumbled out.

“No. Your girlfriend is way worse than me and you know it,” Jeff retorted.

“I don’t know. I don’t think Lily would try to start up some sexual shit while they were in public,” Katie commented as she jumped up onto the bar next to Riker. Riker and Jeff both snorted while Carter flushed deeply. Sabra took notice and laughed as she shook her head. Katie simply stared wide-eyed at her cousin in wonder before turning to look at Riker. “Are you guys implying that Lilleth can be an exhibitionist?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t go _that_ far, but she definitely has a wild side,” Riker replied with a small shrug.

“And it’s _your_ fault she discovered it, asshole,” Carter hissed out as he wormed his way out from beneath Jeff while Jeff laughed.

“What? How?” Katie exclaimed as she looked between the two boys with wide eyes.

“From when I burst into Carter’s dorm room at the end of the year to prank them after Lily spread shit around on the internet about Jeff’s and my sex life,” Riker informed with a noncommittal shrug. “Apparently Lilleth likes the thrill of possibly getting caught now.”

“What a weird girl,” Katie breathed out as she shook her head.

“If you’re only realizing that now, I think you’re the weird one,” Jeff said as he walked over and wrapped his arms around Riker. Katie nodded once in agreement and then turned to look over at Sabra.

“You have any weird high school friend anecdotes?” Katie asked.

“Not like _that_ ,” Sabra snorted.

“I mean, we did all live together for four years. The dynamic is a little different,” Carter chuckled as he walked over and shoved Katie playfully.

“Just a little,” Jeff laughed in agreement. “Joseph has definitely seen more than he ever intended to.”

“And that was partially _your_ fault and partially _his_ fault,” Riker informed with a quirked eyebrow while Jeff giggled to himself.

“And how was it not _your_ fault, Riker?” Carter asked as he looked over at Riker skeptically.

“Because I was no longer in control. Jeff knows how to render me useless,” Riker replied with a shrug while Jeff continued to giggle and bury his face in Riker’s chest. Katie snorted and shook her head while Carter gave Jeff a horrified look.

“So, he purposely did this while your friend was in the room?” Sabra asked skeptically.

“Oh, yeah. He wanted Joey out of the room. He just didn’t expect Joey to start to pretend to throw confetti and skip around for a few minutes before he left the room,” Riker told her with a small tilt of his head.

“Because your guys’ relationship with Joey is weird. Sometimes I think you guys know too much about each other,” Katie informed.

“That is probably a valid statement,” Jeff agreed with a smile. “We are all beyond caring at this point. Even Jackson has accepted it when he walked onto set to find the three of us piled together wearing only our underwear.”

“What? When the fuck did that happen?” Carter burst out.

“Not that long ago, to be honest. It was hot in the studio and none of us were fully dressed. It’s just that Joey piled together with Jeff and me,” Riker chuckled. Jeff nodded in agreement and then tilted his head up in order to pull Riker’s mouth to his again.

“Okay, nope. C’mon, guys. If you’re gonna randomly start making out, at least go home first,” Katie snorted as she pushed at both their shoulders.

“Mmh, point. Plus, Mom is probably going to be calling soon so that we can take over watching over the toddlers,” Riker commented.

“True. I know my mom wants me home with Shelby by four, anyway,” Sabra breathed out. Jeff made a small, stubborn noise, but then easily jumped onto Riker’s back and latched on tightly. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he hooked his arms beneath Jeff’s knees and then began walking.

“Ridiculous. _Utterly ridiculous_ ,” Katie informed as she watched them with a small smile on her face.

“I’m so happy Lily and I are not like that,” Carter breathed out.

“No, instead the two of you are sex fiends,” Jeff snorted as he looked back at Carter with a smirk. Carter rolled his eyes and the flicked Jeff off in annoyance.

“You two are no better,” Carter replied petulantly.

“Oh, no. We are _nowhere_ near as bad,” Riker defended as he looked over at Carter with raised eyebrows. “You and Lilleth have _way more_ sex than Jeff and I do.”

“What? There is no way!” Carter squawked.

“Oh, there is _every_ way,” Jeff snorted. “Once Riker actually figured everything out we calmed down. There was no real, like, rush to it anymore, if that makes sense. Like, before it was such this special and secret thing that it was fun to mess around all the time. Once we got together and _actually_ had sex, it was different.”

“Mhm,” Riker agreed as he squeezed Jeff’s knee lightly.

“So, admitting you were _romantic_ soul mates and having actual, penetrative sex changed things for you,” Carter deadpanned.

“Yes,” Riker and Jeff replied in unison. Carter gave them a weird look and shook his head while Katie giggled and Sabra just looked between them all with raised eyebrows.

“Carter, you have to remember that they’ve known each other forever. That, and they thought they were _platonic_ soul mates for, like, three years. Admitting something and then being that vulnerable and intimate with someone would definitely change things,” Katie chirped.

“Thank you,” Jeff hummed primly.

“Do you guys always get this intense about soul mate conversations?” Sabra asked as they approached Riker’s house.

“Yes,” they all replied at once.

“Everyone always knew we could see color. It took us a few months into our freshman year to really discuss the possibility that we were soul mates. We never thought about it until people, like Carter, started to see color around us,” Riker informed Sabra. “That and Alyssa kept bugging us constantly to talk to each other about it.”

“Yep,” Jeff agreed as he slid off of Riker’s back.

“It’s a Jeffry!” Alyssa suddenly squealed as she jumped down the steps to launch herself at Jeff, who grunted and stumbled as she ran into him.

“God, I hate you so much,” Jeff hissed as Alyssa cackled and hugged him tightly.

“You love me, don’t lie,” Alyssa crooned.

“No, I have to put up with you,” Jeff grumbled in response as he shoved Alyssa away and then darted to hide behind Riker while Riker snorted in amusement. Alyssa feigned offence and clapped a hand to her chest dramatically.

“You _wound_ me, Jeffry!” Alyssa gasped. Jeff simply shrugged and wrapped his arms around Riker’s abdomen.

“Stop being obnoxious, Alyssa,” Riker told her as he pat Jeff’s hands.

“It’s my job as the older sister to be obnoxious, Biker boy,” Alyssa informed with a bat of her eyelids. Riker rolled his eyes and pushed her shoulder lightly.

“Biker boy?” Sabra asked through a giggle.

“Don’t even _try_ ,” Riker breathed out as he began to walk back towards the kitchen where he could hear Darren and Shelby talking excitedly at Miri.

“Sabby!” Shelby exclaimed with excitement as she spotted her sister and jumped up.

“Hey, Shelbs,” Sabra grunted as she caught the enthusiastic three year old. Shelby giggled manically and hugged her older sister around the neck while Sabra smiled and shook her head.

“Rikey! You back!” Darren squeaked as he jumped off of his chair and skipped over to hold his arms in the air. Riker smiled and scooped Darren up easily and kissed the toddler’s cheek. Darren huffed out a happy sound and buried his face in Riker’s neck.

“How was craft time with Shelby?” Riker asked as he bounced Darren on his hip slightly.

“Good, though Shelby _messy_ ,” Darren informed as he pulled his face out of Riker’s neck in order to stare at Riker with wide eyes. Riker snorted and then blew a kiss against Darren’s cheek. Darren huffed out a laugh and then turned to look at Jeff. “Jeffy! You back!”

“I am!” Jeff replied with a wide smile as he accepted the three year old into his arms. “Did you miss me?”

“Yah,” Darren giggled as he bounced on Jeff’s hip. “Cuddle and movie not the same.”

“Aw, I’m glad I’m important to your cuddle and movie time, Dar,” Jeff chuckled as he kissed Darren’s cheek. Darren nodded once definitively and then wiggled his way out of Jeff’s arms to toddle back over to the table.

“Ugh, the two of you with small children is _vomit_ inducing,” Katie informed with a fake gag. Riker rolled his eyes while Jeff beamed over at Katie and then walked over to greet Miri.

“Just imagine how bad it is going to be when it is their actual kids,” Carter breathed out with a shudder.

“Oh, shut up,” Riker chuckled as he reached out to punch Carter’s shoulder playfully. Carter just snorted and shoved Riker away before he pulled Riker into a rough, one armed hug.

“Hey, instead of fighting with each other, why don’t you take the toddlers outside to get some of their energy out,” Miri suggested as she looked over at Riker and Carter with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Mom,” Riker chirped.

“Yes, Miri,” Carter replied at the same time.

“Outside!” Shelby squawked excitedly as she wormed her way out of Sabra’s arms and then ran towards the back door. Darren giggled and followed after his friend while Riker, Jeff, Sabra, Carter, and Katie followed them at a more sedate pace.

“Shelby, please be careful,” Sabra sighed out as she watched her younger sister blast out the door and immediately trip over her own feet.

“I okay!” Shelby squeaked through a giggle as Darren helped her up before they skipped over to climb onto the trampoline.

“Toddlers are so damn resilient,” Katie breathed as they watched Darren and Shelby tumble onto the trampoline together.

“I know. Sometimes Mom or Anne show us old home videos and I am _astounded_ at how rough and tumble Jeff and I could get at times,” Riker said as they all sat down on the edge of the deck and watched the toddlers.

“Your terrible sense of balance didn’t help,” Jeff hummed out as he wormed his way beneath Riker’s arm in order to lean into Riker’s side.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Riker grumbled as Carter snorted with laughter next to them.

“It was funny at times,” Carter informed.

“Yeah, maybe for you. You weren’t the one with constantly bruised knees for the first eight years of your life,” Riker deadpanned. “I had teachers that were legitimately concerned about my wellbeing until they realized I just couldn’t stay upright.”

“That’s _adorable_ ,” Sabra giggled. Riker just rolled his eyes and then squeezed Jeff’s shoulders lightly as he felt Jeff’s grip on his knee tighten.

“Jeffry! Are you over there?” Blaine’s voice suddenly called out, quickly followed by a chipper giggle.

“Yeah. What’s up, Blainers?” Jeff asked in response.

“Please come take the demon spawn before I chuck him over the fence!” Blaine exclaimed.

“Hey!” a small voice squawked indignantly.

“God, Blaine, just send him through the fence. You know how to open it,” Jeff grumbled as he removed himself from Riker’s side in order to walk over to the fence. “Also, stop calling Dalton the demon spawn just because he likes to play pranks on you.”

“Says the one who still calls Natalie the _literal spawn of Satan_ ,” Carter snorted out. Jeff glared in Carter’s direction then and pointed accusingly.

“Very different situations. On one hand, Natalie was evil. On the other, Dalton is a three year old who has an affinity for torturing my older brother,” Jeff informed as he opened the gate.

“Which is pretty evil,” Blaine informed as he popped into the yard and shoved a small, blonde child into Jeff’s arms while the child giggled.

“Only to you,” Jeff hummed primly as he bat his eyelids at his older brother. Blaine simply rolled his eyes and then waved a hand over his shoulder as he walked back over to their house. Dalton simply giggled in Jeff’s arms and waved enthusiastically at Blaine’s retreating back.

“Blainey easy scare,” Dalton informed.

“Oh, I know, buddy,” Jeff chuckled as he closed the gate and then walked back over towards the others. Dalton hummed happily and kicked his legs back and forth as he looked around the yard. “Anyway, guys, this is my little cousin, Dalton. Dalt, those are Carter, Katie, Sabra, and my boyfriend Riker.”

“Riker in your compooter,” Dalton informed as he pointed in Riker’s direction. Riker smiled and nodded at the toddler.

“Yep. I was in Jeffy’s computer, and he was in mine,” Riker informed.

“Tha’s _silly_ ,” Dalton giggled.

“It’s just how we communicate sometimes,” Jeff hummed as he sat back down next to Riker and shifted Dalton into his lap. “It was nice to see Riker like that when I was gone because he is very important to me.”

“Like Arya and Jonas?” Dalton questioned.

“ _Exactly_ like that,” Jeff agreed with a smile before he placed a kiss on Dalton’s forehead while Dalton hummed happily.

“Rikey, we go to tree house?” Darren asked as he and Shelby skipped back up to them.

“Well, I think Shelby has to go home soon, bud,” Riker informed as he looked at Sabra out of the corner of his eye to see her give him a nod. Darren pouted dramatically while Shelby made a stubborn face next to him.

“Another time, maybe,” Sabra informed as she pulled her younger sister into a hug. Shelby simply pouted and went limp in Sabra’s arms. Sabra sighed heavily and adjusted Shelby’s weight in her arms. “I swear, if you try and do this the whole way home, I will leave you in the middle of the sidewalk.”

“Mean,” Shelby informed curtly.

“So is being dead weight, ma’am,” Sabra replied easily. Shelby simply stared up at her older sister with slightly narrowed eyes and then shrugged. “Is that an agreement that I can get you home without any major trouble.”

“Yah,” Shelby agreed as she attempted to climb her way onto Sabra’s shoulders. Katie snorted as she watched and then pulled Shelby off of Sabra’s shoulder in order to place the enthusiastic toddler on Sabra’s back. Shelby smiled sweetly up at Katie while Sabra mouthed a grateful _thank you_. Katie simply smiled and nodded to Sabra while she ruffled Shelby’s hair.

“I’m sure I will see you guys around. Nice to meet you, Jeff,” Sabra said as she smiled and waved.

“Bye,” they all chorused as they waved to Sabra as she got up and then began to walk away with a giggling Shelby clinging to her back. Darren waved at Shelby’s retreating figure and then turned to Riker to sigh heavily. Riker chuckled and ruffled Darren’s hair fondly.

“Don’t look so put out, bud. I think Jeffy has a friend for you to meet,” Riker informed quietly as he hugged Darren close and pointed over towards where Dalton was peeking over at Darren from his spot in Jeff’s lap. Darren made an interested noise and looked in the indicated direction. Riker felt Darren freeze and looked down in alarm, only to see Darren studying Dalton intensely with his head tilted to the side. Dalton was doing the same as he leaned away from Jeff slightly in Darren’s direction. Riker and Jeff exchanged a glance with raised eyebrows while Carter and Katie watched with interest.

“What’s that?” Dalton suddenly asked as he pointed in Darren’s direction.

“That’s Darren,” Jeff informed with a small snort. Dalton looked at his older cousin then with a deadpan expression and rolled his eyes.

“No. His _eyes_ ,” Dalton squeaked as he pointed back over at Darren.

“Yah. What his?” Darren asked as he pulled away from Riker in order to toddle over to Dalton and reach out to poke at his cheeks. Dalton giggled and playfully slapped at Darren’s hands before he did the same.

“Are you talking about _color_?” Riker asked hesitantly.

“Yah!” both toddlers squeaked as they plopped down onto the ground together and began to poke at each other’s faces in turn. Riker and Jeff exchanged a smile before they turned their attention back to Darren and Dalton.

“Well, Darren’s eyes are _green_. Dalton’s eyes are _blue_ ,” Riker informed while Jeff bit his lip to keep in his excited giggles.

“Green,” Dalton breathed out as he placed his hands on Darren’s cheeks while Darren giggled.

“God, is this how it was when you two met?” Carter breathed out as he looked between Darren and Dalton.

“Oh, worse,” Miri replied, startling all four teenagers, who turned around to see her leaning against the doorframe and smiling. “The two of them would _not_ stop rambling about colors and each other’s eyes and they would just lie on the ground together and giggle and touch each other’s faces.”

“So, even more sickeningly cute than what is taking place before us,” Katie giggled as she nodded her head in the direction of Darren and Dalton, who had taken to looking around the yard and pointing at things that were blue or green.

“Oh, most definitely,” Miri informed with a nod of her head. “And now I get to watch the whole process over again10.”

“Here’s to hoping they’re not as frustrating as me and Riker, yeah?” Jeff asked as he watched Darren and Dalton with an awed smile on his face.

“One can only hope,” Miri hummed in agreement. Riker just smiled and shook his head as he pulled Jeff close to his side. Jeff hummed happily and went easily, all of them turning their attention back to the wonderstruck toddlers as they wandered the yard.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7) OKAY, LEMME TELL YOU A THING. I HAD TO DO LEGIT RESEARCH TO MAKE SURE HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH WAS RELEASED DURING SUMMER 2011. EVER AFTER (the album it is on) WAS NOT RELEASED UNTIL THE FALL OF THAT YEAR, BUT THE GODS BLESSED ME AND HHE WAS ONE OF THE SINGLES OFF OF THAT ALBUM AND RELEASED IN JULY. THANK U WIKI FOR UR KNOWLEDGE  
> 8) Since Riker and Jeff have known each other so long, and been connected so long, they needed something a little more intense to fully realize their connection. They were so young when they met that their brains and everything couldn't comprehend what was happening, so when they kiss or the first time, it causes a small shift  
> 9) This is mentioned in the main story in a bit more depth, but Lauren is poly, and therefore has two romantic soul mates  
> 10) If you are thinking "wow, darren and dalton are set up parallel to riker and jeff!", YOU ARE CORRECT. It is set up that same way in the main story, and plenty of people like to point it out to the pair. However, Darren and Dalton are still their own beings. Sure, they don't get together until they are 17 (just like Riker and Jeff), but it is for very different reasons. Still plenty of stupidity, but not Riker levels of stupidity (I love my baby, but he was a bit dense to start, okay? Okay)


	3. Chapter 3

**Age 19-20**

A bit over two years later found Riker sauntering his way back to his dorm from the library during midterms week11. He sighed heavily and shifted his backpack slightly as he walked, waving at people as they passed. He knew Jeff and Macen were waiting for him back at the dorm, but he couldn’t be bothered to walk any faster at the moment.

Then, he came to a stop as he noticed a girl sitting on a bench and looking around nervously. Riker took in her slumped posture and arms wrapped protectively around her middle and got a feeling like he needed to protect her. He stood there for a few more seconds before he started to walk in her direction, only to stop as a man approached her.

She looked up nervously, but then seemed to relax just slightly as she recognized the person. She got up then and allowed herself to be pulled along as the man latched onto her arm. Riker watched them go, an unsettled feeling in his stomach. He stayed there for a minute once they left, and then took off towards his dorm quickly.

“Hey, Rike. How was the study session?” Macen asked as Riker burst into the room. Riker ignored his roommate in favor of dropping his bag to the floor and immediately climbing onto his bed with Jeff. Jeff gave Riker a worried look and wrapped his arms around Riker tightly.

“What happened?” Jeff asked quietly. “You’re shaking.”

“J-just hold on,” Riker gasped out as he curled into Jeff’s chest and took deep breaths to calm himself down. Jeff and Macen exchanged a worried look before Jeff returned his attention back to Riker.

“Do you need to do breathing exercises? Are you having a panic attack?” Jeff whispered. Riker took another deep breath and shook his head.

“It felt like I was going to have one,” Riker breathed as he relaxed slightly in Jeff’s grip. “I think I’m okay now, though.”

“What happened?” Jeff asked again as he pulled away slightly in order to take Riker’s face into his hands and inspect Riker carefully. Riker gave a small shrug and took another deep breath.

“I don’t really understand. I saw this girl and she worried me, you know? She was all hunched in on herself and seemed shifty. Then some guy came and she left with him and I just didn’t feel good about it and I felt like I was going to panic, so I ran back here,” Riker informed. Jeff crooned and ran his hand through Riker’s hair once before tucking Riker back into his chest.

“That’s weird, man,” Macen commented. “I mean, it sounds like there _may_ be something to worry about, but it’s not like you can do anything for her unless you run into her again.”

“I know,” Riker breathed out as he slowly relaxed into Jeff’s chest.

“We can keep an eye out for her,” Jeff reassured as he kissed the top of Riker’s head. “Hopefully next time you can reach out and help her if she needs it.”

“Mhm,” Riker hummed as he pulled out of Jeff’s grip slightly in order to stretch a bit. “Ugh, god. I forgot how sore I was. Jesus.”

“Aw, babe,” Jeff crooned through a small giggle as he watched Riker wince as he stretched out his stiff muscles.

“That’s what happens when you’re a dance major,” Macen snorted as he watched Riker with an amused expression. “Carson complains about it too.”

“Carson can suck a dick,” Riker grumbled out as he stood up and tried to stretch his sides and legs out.

“I’m pretty sure he already eats out Lane on a regular basis, so I don’t think he wants a dick to come into the equation,” Macen commented easily.

“Nevermind, _you_ can suck the dick,” Riker replied as he glared in Macen’s direction.

“No thanks. That’s your job,” Macen chirped with a smug smirk.

“Aw, babe, we’re rubbing off on him,” Jeff cooed as he smiled over at Macen, who rolled his eyes.

“Joey and Selena are way worse than you two, and you know it,” Macen added.

“No. _Selena_ is worse. Joey is much more reserved than Selena is. He keeps more of the explicit stuff to himself unless it is just Riker, me, and Selena around,” Jeff informed. Macen raised an eyebrow skeptically and then looked at Riker, who nodded in agreement.

“That makes me afraid of what he says, then. Maybe I should be glad he keeps it to himself,” Macen breathed.

“Yes,” Riker and Jeff laughed in response.

“And on that note, I am going to go take a shower because I am sweaty and gross,” Riker grunted out as he straightened up and pulled his shirt over his head. Jeff watched intently with a smirk.

“You put that look away until I leave the room, _damn_ ,” Macen grumbled as he grabbed his books and then slammed out of the room. Jeff giggled manically and then quickly followed Riker into the bathroom while Riker snorted with amusement.

000000

Riker’s next encounter with the girl resulted in the same panic as the previous one, which left Riker frustrated and Lane worried as she attempted to rush him back to his dorm. Jeff was just as worried when he arrived and cuddled with Riker until Riker calmed down.

“You really need to figure this out, babe,” Jeff breathed at Riker who only nodded.

That was all Riker could think about the next time he saw her. He was outside playing in the snow with Kamryn when he felt a prickle up his spine. He turned and saw the girl sitting on a bench by herself, looking around just as nervously as the two previous times. Kamryn stopped as well and followed Riker’s gaze over to the girl.

“That’s the one?” Kamryn asked. Riker nodded once and Kamryn hummed before she nudged lightly at Riker’s back. “Go talk to her, then.”

“What if that guy comes along?” Riker asked as he looked over at Kamryn.

“What is he gonna do? You’ll just be talking to her,” Kamryn said with a roll of her eyes.

“No. He gives me a really bad vibe. I don’t want to put her in any more trouble than she may already be in,” Riker commented as he looked back over at her.

“Well, you don’t know if you can _actually_ help her until you talk to her,” Kamryn breathed out, her breath ghosting out in front of her in the cold air. Riker inspected Kamryn’s determined expression and then nodded once before he walked over towards the girl.

She seemed to refuse to look up as he approached and Riker quietly sat down next to her. He inspected her and noticed she wasn’t wearing a coat despite the cold air, and wasn’t as hunched over as she used to be.

“Are you okay?” Riker finally asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” she whispered in response, still looking anywhere but at Riker.

“Do you need a coat? It’s cold out,” Riker stated.

“I’m _fine_ ,” she reiterated, even as she tucked her hands between her thighs for warmth.

“I can get you a coat, you know. I have an extra in my room,” Riker told her.

“I don’t need a coat,” she informed in a stilted voice as she turned to give Riker a quick glare. She froze once she actually looked at Riker, though, a slightly confused expression on her face. After a few seconds, she set her jaw again and looked away from Riker stubbornly. “I don’t need your help.”

“It’s just a coat,” Riker said quietly as he felt panic starting to settle in his stomach.

“I need to go,” she suddenly said as she got up and began to jog in the direction of one of the buildings, where Riker noticed the usual guy standing. He watched with his breath caught in his chest as he witnessed the guy grab onto the girl’s arm tightly and pull her along roughly.

“Alright, you’re okay. Let’s get you back to your room,” Kamryn breathed out as she popped up next to Riker and gently touched his shoulder. Riker nodded shakily and allowed Kamryn to guide him along as he took short, panicked breaths.

“Again?” Macen asked as he looked up from his computer as Kamryn nudged Riker into the dorm. Kamryn nodded and guided Riker over to Macen’s bed. Riker climbed on easily and immediately curled into Macen’s side once Macen lifted his arm. Kamryn followed soon after and leaned into Riker’s legs as she pulled out her phone. “You texting Jeff?”

“Yeah,” Kamryn replied through a deep breath before she tossed her phone to the side and then turned to cuddle with Riker more.

“You should probably take off your coats,” Macen commented as he shifted in order to push at Riker’s coat slightly. Riker simply nodded and mechanically took off his coat before kicking off his boots.

“Sorry,” Riker whispered as he curled back into Macen’s side. Macen brushed this off with a wave of his hand and then ruffled Riker’s hair.

“My blankets need to get washed anyway,” Macen replied. Kamryn snorted as she looked back at Macen and climbed back onto the bed after she hung up her and Riker’s coats.

“Need us to put a movie on?” Kamryn asked as she squeezed Riker’s leg slightly. Riker shook his head and then closed his eyes as he took a couple deep breaths.

“What’s going on?” Joey asked as he burst into the room. “Jeff sent a message telling me to come here to compensate until he can escape from class.”

“Riker saw that girl again,” Kamryn replied. “He talked to her this time, but then she left.”

“You make it sound so dramatic,” Riker huffed out as he moved around to cuddle with Joey once Joey climbed onto the bed.

“I mean, that’s what happened,” Kamryn said with a small shrug. “I don’t really know what’s going on. I’ve never witnessed this first hand.”

“Obviously not a fun experience,” Joey commented as he and Macen squeezed Riker between them. Riker shook his head and then pulled the hood of his hoodie up over his head.

“It’s frustrating,” Riker whispered. “I don’t understand it at all.”

“None of us, do, man,” Joey said as he pat Riker’s leg. “If we did, we would help you.”

“I know _that_ ,” Riker deadpanned as he rolled his eyes at Joey. Joey just shrugged his shoulders and then exchanged a slightly amused look with Macen over Riker’s sass.

“You’ll figure it out eventually,” Joey reassured as he squeezed Riker’s shoulders. Riker just shrugged and curled in on himself. “C’mon. I can put on Spectacular!”

“Ugh, _why_ ,” Kamryn groaned as she tipped her head back.

“Do not insult that movie in my presence, you heathen,” Riker told her as he reached out to kick her side lightly. Kamryn just rolled her eyes and then flipped Riker off while Joey snorted and got up to retrieve the DVD.

“It’s the best option aside from Jeffry being here,” Joey added as he hopped back onto the bed and handed the DVD to Macen, who immediately began to load it into his computer. Riker hummed and nodded in agreement while Kamryn groaned dramatically.

“Shut up and buck up, or leave. Those are your options,” Macen informed as he clicked through the DVD menu when it popped up. Kamryn rolled her eyes, but then crawled over to lean into Macen’s free side as they all settled in to watch the movie.

000000

Riker sat on the couch over winter break, watching as Darren, Dalton, and Logan rolled around on the floor together. Jeff was sitting next to Riker with his fingers buried in Riker’s hair even as he talked to his siblings. Riker leaned into the touch and smiled slightly as he watched Darren allow Logan to tackle him to the floor while Dalton giggled next to them.

“So, how was your first semester?” Miri asked as she walked into the living room with Anne and Jack to sit down with all of the kids. Jeff shrugged and turned his attention over to their parents.

“It was fine. Classes were a bit tougher than at Westtown, but not too much,” Jeff added. Riker nodded in agreement and leaned into Jeff’s side when Jeff lifted his arm in invitation.

“Did you meet lots of new people?” Anne asked with a small smile.

“I guess. We’re pretty close with my roommate,” Riker informed. “And then there’s Kamryn, who is a fan of the show. I met Carson and Lane through classes.”

“And that’s pretty much it,” Jeff snorted out.

“Keeping your group small?” Alyssa asked with a small laugh.

“I mean, we’re close with our RAs, but not like the other four. Plus, it’s easier to keep the group smaller. Joey, Jeff, and I attract enough attention as it is,” Riker replied with a small shrug. Jeff nodded in agreement and leaned over to kiss Riker’s cheek.

“And how are your professors?” Miri asked in interest.

“All of Riker’s professors have a love/hate relationship with him,” Jeff deadpanned with a fond roll of his eyes. “All of them, except for his one dance teacher, usually send him away within a few minutes of class.”

“You truly are your father’s son,” Miri laughed while Riker shrugged it all off.

“The real question, though, is does Jeff ever spend time in his own dorm?” Eliana questioned with a small giggle.

“When Riker and Macen are both in class,” Jeff chirped with a small shrug.

“I don’t understand why you two didn’t just get an apartment off campus,” Curt breathed as he shook his head.

“Because then we wouldn’t be forced to meet new people,” Riker replied. “Otherwise we would only know Joey, Selena, Elliot, and Oliver.”

“Pretty much,” Jeff said as he tipped their heads together.

“You guys don’t even hang with people from your classes?” Blaine asked.

“Aside from Lane and Carson, not really,” Riker informed. “Sometimes for study groups, but that’s different.”

“God, you two are so _lame_ ,” Eliana breathed while Arya giggled behind her.

“I mean, I can understand that,” Maya commented with a shrug. “If you were famous would you want people around who just want your attention? You have to be choosey.”

“ _Exactly_ ,” Riker and Jeff agreed as they smiled over at Maya, who smiled back and then accepted Logan into her lap.

“Still, you guys could make other friends,” Alyssa said.

“We _could_ , but it’s rough,” Jeff retorted. “Especially because Riker is on edge all the time.”

“What? Why?” Miri asked as she quickly turned her attention to her youngest biological child. Riker shrank in on himself slightly and shrugged.

“I’ve run into this girl a few times and whenever she leaves I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack,” Riker replied quietly while Jeff squeezed his knee reassuringly. Miri eyed Riker with concern while Curt inspected his younger brother closely.

“Does this girl seem to be in a bad situation?” Curt questioned with his head tilted to the side lightly. Riker met his older brother’s gaze and nodded once. “It leaves you unsettled and shaky?”

“Yeah,” Riker breathed out. Curt nodded and gave Riker a small smile.

“Don’t worry that it feels that way. It’s normal, just try and get her out of whatever situation she’s in,” Curt told Riker, whose eyebrows shot up skeptically.

“You sound like you know this from experience,” Riker deadpanned.

“I do. I went through the same thing with Damian before we _actually_ met. The first time I came into contact with him from afar he was in a bad place mentally. He vanished before I could approach him and I nearly had a panic attack. It happened two more times before I was able to get a hold of him,” Curt said. “It’s because Damian is my platonic soul mate. Your instincts are telling you to help this girl, and then kick into overdrive when you can’t. The only difference is that I began to see muted colors when I was around Damian once we fully met. You wouldn’t get that since you’ve been seeing in full color since you were three 12.”

“So, you’re saying this girl is his platonic soul mate?” Jeff deadpanned as he looked over at Curt, who nodded once.

“Yes,” Curt added. “It took a lot of late night talks with Damian to figure it all out. I would rather be blunt in this situation because I know how panicky it left me, and I don’t have all of the issues Riker does.”

“ _Aw_ , watching out for our _baby brother_ ,” Alyssa crooned through a giggle as she leaned over to pinch Curt’s cheeks. Curt rolled his eyes and slapped Alyssa’s hands away before he looked back over at Riker.

“But seriously, I know the panic sucks, but when you’re meant to be brought together, you will,” Curt said.

“How did you live with the constant feeling like that, though?” Riker asked. Curt made a face as he thought and then shrugged.

“I honestly have no idea. I remember that it _sucked_ , but then everything came together and that seemed to fade to the back,” Curt replied.

“And I just thought you and Damian were weirdos,” Alyssa giggled as she smirked over at her brother.

“Oh, they are. Their brand of weirdness is just made for one another,” Maya chirped. “It’s interesting to watch, if I’m being honest. Like, obviously Curt and I are each other’s halves, but he also has this other part of him that belongs with Damian. I’m sure Jeff will see it once Riker and this girl finally fall together. Granted, it will be different since Curt and Damian knew each other for a few years before I met them.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” Jeff hummed as he nuzzled his nose into Riker’s temple. Riker smiled and curled closer to Jeff’s chest happily.

“I don’t think any of us doubt _that_ ,” Jonas snorted as he quirked an eyebrow at Riker and Jeff, who both rolled their eyes at him.

“Leave us alone,” Riker grumbled without any real heat.

“What are soul mates?” Darren suddenly chirped up from where he was sitting in the middle of the floor. Dalton giggled and bumped their shoulders together.

“Your person!” Dalton chirped as if it was obvious. Darren just gave Dalton a confused look and Riker smiled as he held his arms out to Darren. Darren gave Riker a small smile and then skipped over to crawl into Riker’s lap.

“A soul mate is someone who you’re meant to spend your life with,” Riker informed quietly. “When you meet them, your whole world changes. Colors start to bloom around you and that person seems to make everything fall into place.”

“But I see in color,” Darren said with a serious expression.

“Me too!” Dalton chirped as he walked over and climbed into Jeff’s lap.

“Mhm, you do,” Jeff agreed as he ruffled Dalton’s hair. “That means you have already met your soul mate. Sometimes it takes a while to realize who they are, though. Rikey and I took eleven years to realize it, and then another _three_ to realize it wasn’t in a friend way.”

“Because you’re both _idiots_ ,” Alyssa hissed out with a smile. Riker rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his older sister.

“So Rikey _has_ a friend soul mate?” Darren questioned.

“Apparently so,” Jeff hummed as Riker gave a small shrug.

“But you’re still his soul mate, too?” Darren asked.

“Yes,” Riker and Jeff agreed as they smiled down at Darren while Dalton giggled next to him from his spot in Jeff’s lap.

“Tha’s why they’re all lovey dovey,” Dalton informed before he imitated kissing. Darren giggled manically and reached out to push at Dalton’s face playfully before they both tumbled out of Riker and Jeff’s laps to roll around the floor while pretending to kiss each other.

“Why they’re even pretending they haven’t kissed is beyond me,” Miri deadpanned as she watched the two five year olds with amusement.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Riker snorted as they watched Darren and Dalton roll together and envelope one another in a hug.

“It’s gonna be interesting to watch those two grow up and learn about each other,” Anne breathed out with a small, fond smile. Jack hummed and nodded in agreement next to her.

“Nothing will beat Riker and Jeff, though,” Jack added. The others all snorted with laughter while Riker and Jeff made offended noises. “Oh, come on, boys. You used to cuddle together and groom each other with your tongues.”

“ _When we were three_!” Jeff screeched in defense while Riker snorted.

“It still happened!” Blaine replied as he pointed accusingly in his younger brother’s direction. Jeff grumbled stubbornly and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I don’t even need to remind you about your senior year. Lilleth does that enough for the rest of us,” Alyssa added offhandedly with a wave of her hand.

“God, yeah, she does,” Riker sighed with a small shake of his head. “Yet she’s no one to talk since she knew Carter was her soul mate all throughout high school and never said anything to him about it.”

“That’s because she’s a weirdo,” Eliana laughed.

“Don’t we know it,” Riker and Jeff chuckled.

“And on that note, _that_ was the oven,” Miri said as they heard the oven go off. “Everyone up to help set up for dinner.”

“ _Yaaay_!” Dalton and Darren bugled as they got up and ran towards the kitchen. Logan giggled manically from Maya’s lap as she watched them and reached out in their direction. Maya smiled and handed Logan off to Curt so she could get off of the couch easier. Curt smiled back and offered a hand to his pregnant wife before they headed towards the kitchen. Arya and Jonas followed soon after, with Eliana and Blaine following after them while bickering good naturedly. Miri, Anne, and Jack all exchanged a smile and shook their heads as they got up as well.

“Well, at least we know _why_ you’re so affected now,” Jeff breathed out as he stood up and held a hand out to Riker.

“Mhm,” Riker hummed in agreement as he accepted Jeff’s hand and allowed Jeff to lead him forward. “Now here’s to hoping the situation gets resolved sooner rather than later.”

“Yep,” Jeff agreed as they walked into the kitchen with smiles to help set up for dinner with their siblings.

000000

“Do you _have_ to go to class?” Jeff whined as he pouted in Riker’s direction as Riker gathered his things for his advanced dance class the next fall semester.

“It is the first day of class, Jeffry. Yes, I have to go,” Riker informed with a small snort as he walked over to kiss Jeff lightly. “Now, are you coming with me, or not?”

“Like that’s even a question,” Jeff replied with a roll of his eyes before he got up off the bed and walked over to grab his shoes and keys. Riker smiled and shook his head before allowed Jeff to leave the room before him so he could close the door and then lock it.

“Are you gonna go bug Joey and Selena while I’m in class?” Riker asked as he linked their fingers together.

“Mhm,” Jeff hummed as he nodded once. “Why?”

“So I know where to find you once class is done,” Riker snorted in response as he used their linked hands to pull Jeff closer to his side. Jeff giggled as they knocked together and then kissed Riker’s cheek.

“I don’t know exactly where we will be, so you may want to text me. That or we will meet back at one of our dorms,” Jeff chirped as he looked up at Riker happily.

“Sounds like a plan,” Riker replied as he smacked a kiss to Jeff’s forehead.

“Ah, the lovebirds are back!” Carson exclaimed as he gestured grandly with his arms as Riker and Jeff approached.

“Hey, man. How was your summer?” Riker asked with a smile as he walked over to hug Carson and then clap Carson on the shoulder.

“It was good. Nice and relaxing. Lane and I spent a whole week at the lake together,” Carson replied as he clapped Riker on the back. “What about yours?”

“We spent our time around four six year olds most of the time. That should answer your question,” Jeff snorted as he accepted a hug from Carson.

“Point,” Carson chuckled as he gave them a small shrug. “How come you guys haven’t just moved out yet?”

“Because Darren and Dalton would be very offended if we did. In their minds we are still in school, so we should still live at home,” Riker replied with a one shouldered shrug. “We’ve already told them that when we finish school we will be moving out. They’re banking on those additional two years, man.”

“I bet,” Carson chuckled while Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes fondly.

“Okay. You two get to class. I’ll see you later,” Jeff said as he squeezed Riker’s hand. Riker smiled and turned to kiss Jeff lightly.

“Love you,” Riker hummed.

“Mmh, love you too,” Jeff replied happily as he kissed Riker one more time and then walked away as he waved over his shoulder. Carson snorted and shook his head as he and Riker walked towards the dance studio their class was to take place in.

“You two are still just as ridiculous as I remembered,” Carson informed as he bumped their hips together playfully. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes and reached over to clap Carson on the back.

“You and Lane can be just as bad, man. I once witnessed a phone call that took _fifteen_ minutes to end when Lane was supposed to be working on a project with me and Joey,” Riker commented. Carson just made a face at Riker and then shoved Riker forward into the studio. Riker barked out a laugh and ruffled Carson’s hair roughly in retaliation.

“Boys, _please_. It is only the first day,” their professor sighed as she fixed them with a deadpan expression.

“Sorry, Pam,” they both replied with sheepish smiles as they darted over to sit in front of the mirrors in their usual spot. Pam watched them go and gave them a nod in approval as they sat down.

“I can’t even imagine what it is like to be disliked by Pam, because we are two of her favorites and she treats us like a strict mother,” Carson whispered as he set his bag off to the side. Riker nodded in agreement and pulled his hoodie out of his bag to pull on.

“I think we should just be thankful we are on her good list,” Riker snorted as he pushed his sleeves up and then draped his arms over his knees. Carson hummed in agreement as he slouched down against the mirror. Riker smiled at Caron and then froze as he looked over at the door and saw who was walking through the door. Carson noticed as well and straightened up a bit as he nudged Riker’s side. Riker just rolled his eyes at Carson and nodded.

The girl seemed to notice Riker then and her eyes widened before she darted over to the opposite side of the room to sit down. Riker watched her go and Carson made an interested noise.

“Any panicky feelings?” Carson whispered. Riker shook his head and then turned his attention to Carson.

“It’s not like she needs to avoid me, though. It’s not going to work,” Riker said quietly with a shrug.

“That sounds ominous,” Carter snorted. Riker rolled his eyes and then smiled as he shoved Carson lightly.

“Not in a bad way. I just know things,” Riker informed. Carson shrugged and then nodded once before they turned their attention to Pam as she clapped her hands once to gain their attention.

“Okay, as you are all aware, this is an _advanced_ dance class. This is not going to be an easy A for most of you,” Pam informed as she looked over at Riker with a small smirk. Riker smiled to himself and Carson snorted next to him and jabbed Riker in the ribs with his elbow. “I am experimenting with the course this year, and with each new module, you will have to choreograph your own piece.”

“ _Hell yes_ ,” Riker whispered while Carson made a face next to him. Pam looked over at Riker briefly once more and winked. Riker preened and swat at Carson as Carson tried to jab him in the side again.

“You will have _one_ partner throughout the whole semester, and _I_ will be choosing them,” Pam informed as she looked over at Riker and Carson pointedly as they dramatically latched onto each other’s hands.

“ _Aaaw_ ,” they both whined loudly. Pam smiled at the pair and then produced a clipboard in a flourish to begin calling out pairs.

“Riker, you are paired with Addison Chase,” Pam said as she looked over at Riker. The girl squeaked quietly across the room and Riker looked over at her to give her a small smile. She returned it and seemed to relax slightly.

“You’re denying me good grades, Pam,” Carson sighed heavily with a small smile on his face.

“Because I know you are perfectly capable of doing well without Riker to aid you,” Pam chirped. “Additionally, sometimes you are unable to keep up with your partner in crime.”

“ _Oooooo_!” the class all crooned while Riker threw his head back to laugh while Carson smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Throwin’ me under the bus. How _rude_ ,” Carson chuckled. Pam simply smiled and shrugged before she continued down the list of partners.

“Okay, I want you to find your partners and begin to set meetings and such up. I expect you back next week to present me with a practice schedule as well as the song you intend to choreograph,” Pam said as she propped the clipboard on her hip and looked around the room. “None of you are children, do not make me regret this experiment.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they all chorused as they began to get up and shuffle around to find their partners. Riker grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before he skipped over towards where Addison was.

“Hi! I’m Riker!” he chirped as he smiled brightly at her.

“I gathered,” she deadpanned. “You can call me Addie.”

“Mkay. Do you have a preference of when you want to meet?” he asked as he felt himself relax in a way he hadn’t since the first time he had seen her.

“As of right now, Wednesday nights are our best bet. I may be able to change my work schedule to get another night off as well,” Addie informed as she shifted her bag on her shoulder.

“I’m fine for Wednesday nights. And you don’t need to worry about needing another night unless we determine we need one,” Riker replied with a shrug. Addie gave him another smile and nodded once.

“I don’t have a phone, though, so I won’t be able to contact you if anything changes,” Addie told him in a slightly nervous tone. Riker simply shrugged and waved it off.

“Doesn’t matter. We can just meet here on Wednesday night. Six okay?” Riker asked. Addie nodded and blinked in surprise at Riker.

“Six is fine,” Addie breathed. “See you then?”

“Mhm!” Riker said.

“Alright. Well, I am going to take off now. I have someplace I would rather be than loitering around campus,” Addie informed.

“Same, in a sense. I _will_ be loitering around campus, but at least not in class,” Riker chuckled as they started towards the door. Addie hummed in understanding and nodded thankfully as Riker held the door open for her.

“I will see you Wednesday, then,” Addie said quietly with a small smile.

“Wednesday,” Riker agreed with one last smile before she turned and walked away.

“Sooo, that seemed to go okay,” Carson commented as he walked up behind Riker and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Yeah. I think it will all work out,” Riker replied. “I didn’t realize how tense I had been about the situation until it wasn’t an issue anymore.”

“That’s ridiculous, man,” Carson informed with a snort. Riker shrugged and then pulled his phone out in order to text Jeff to find out where he, Selena, and Joey were.

“If you understood, it wouldn’t be so ridiculous,” Riker added as he read his text from Jeff and then redirected them towards the main quad.

“Whatever,” Carson said with a shrug. Riker shrugged as well and then ran over to tackle Jeff to the ground. Jeff squawked indignantly and then bit at Riker’s arms while Joey and Selena barked out laughs.

“God, how are you no different than when we were toddlers?” Jeff groaned as he shoved at Riker, who cackled and wrapped himself around Jeff tightly. Jeff grumbled in annoyance and tried to bite at Riker’s cheeks roughly.

“He used to do that when you were little? Just run up and tackle you?” Carson asked as he sat down next to Joey.

“Correction, he used to do that to _everyone_ , and it wasn’t just when he was little. I witnessed him to it to Jeff and Carter many a time in middle school,” Selena laughed as she reached out to ruffle Riker’s hair. Riker growled at her and then lunged at her. She screeched out a laugh and easily fell to the ground with Riker while Joey shook his head and Jeff huffed as he sat up. Carson watched with a raised eyebrow and then shook his head.

“Someone is in a chipper mood,” Joey commented.

“Yeah. He and that chick finally met. They’re dance partners for the rest of the semester,” Carson informed. Joey and Jeff both immediately looked at Riker with shocked expressions and Riker chuckled with a nod as he removed himself from Selena.

“Yeah?” Jeff asked breathlessly. Riker nodded happily and then crawled over to lay down with his head in Jeff’s lap.

“I don’t know how she is as a dancer yet, but I think it will be a good experience,” Riker hummed.

“Congrats, man,” Joey chuckled as he reached out to slap a hand against Riker’s stomach. Riker just smiled over at Joey and then leaned into Jeff’s touch as Jeff buried his fingers in Riker’s hair.

“I can’t wait to eventually meet her,” Jeff informed as he smiled down at Riker.

“I think I need to get to know her a little better, first,” Riker snorted. Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes fondly as he pinched Riker’s cheek.

“I _know_ that, but still,” Jeff chided. Riker just smiled innocently up at his boyfriend and then turned in order to bite at Jeff’s stomach. Jeff squealed and then giggled manically as he grappled at Riker’s shoulders to pull Riker into a tight hug.

“God, these two are ridiculous,” Carson breathed as he shook his head.

“You get used to it,” Joey replied with a small shrug as he watched his two friends grapple with each other. “I spent all of high school living with them. Nothing has really changed.”

“And yet it still took them fourteen years to realize it wasn’t platonic,” Selena breathed out as she watched Riker and Jeff with a smile on her face.

“And yet you’re the one who still sucked his dick summer before senior year!” Jeff squeaked out as he attempted to pull Riker into his lap.

“He’s hot and I had a huge crush on him in middle school,” Selena chirped with a noncommittal shrug. “That and we were both drunk…and you were repressing your feelings.”

“She’s got you there,” Riker giggled as he pushed Jeff onto the ground and then sat on top of him. Jeff huffed out an annoyed breath and rolled his eyes.

“God, your group is so tangled,” Carson commented as he looked between them. “Like, how many couples have you introduced that have been soul mates?”

“Just these two and then Grant and Julia,” Jeff replied with a small shrug.

“Mmh, Damian and Garrett,” Riker added. Selena gagged exaggeratedly then while Joey snorted and shook his head.

“I fear for what Courtney may witness when I’m not there to protect her,” Selena stated as she shook her head. “They’re still not over the honeymoon phase.”

“Oh, c’mon! It’s cute!” Jeff chirped out with a bright smile. “Last I knew they were discussing options for having another kid. Courtney seemed to be over the moon.”

“She is,” Selena informed with a small smile. “Doesn’t mean Garrett and Damian aren’t disgusting.”

“Look at who you are talking to!” Carson barked out as he gestured wildly at Riker and Jeff, who were tangled together in the grass. Selena eyed them and then tipped her head to the side in thought.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she finally snorted out. Riker and Jeff both rolled their eyes and turned their attention on each other.

“Our friends are so unappreciative,” Jeff deadpanned.

“Ugh, I know,” Riker agreed with a small smile.

“Your friends put up with a lot of your shit,” Joey chuckled as he reached out to kick at them playfully. “Now, c’mon. Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

“Ugh, _yes_ ,” Riker breathed up as he jumped up and then helped Jeff up while Jeff laughed at him.

“Kam said to let her know when we were heading out for food so she could pull herself away from whatever work she already has accumulated,” Selena informed as she got up from the ground as well.

“It’s literally the first day back. She is so dramatic,” Carson breathed as he rolled his eyes. “But, I will text both her and Lane. Do we need to include Macen?”

“Nah, he’s got class,” Riker told Carson as he and Jeff linked their hands together.

“Elliot and Oliver?” Joey asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Nope. Date night,” Jeff replied with a shake of his head. “Those two are so damn domestic.”

“Hark who is talking,” Selena giggled as she reached over to shove at Jeff lightly. Jeff just smiled and rolled his eyes and shoved Selena back.

“No more violence!” Carson suddenly exclaimed as he wedged himself between Selena and Jeff dramatically. Jeff just cackled manically and jumped onto Carson’s back in retaliation. Carson laughed as well and then took off with Jeff on his back while Jeff squealed.

“God, we have a weird group of friends,” Joey breathed out as they watched with smiles as Jeff pretended to rein Carson in like a horse.

“That we do,” Riker and Selena agreed as they continued towards the dining hall while they watched Carson and Jeff goof off.

000000

“Do you know how long you guys will be?” Jeff asked Wednesday night as he waited with Riker outside of the dance studio. Riker shook his head and pulled Jeff in for a hug.

“I can text you if it will be more than an hour,” Riker replied. Jeff hummed in agreement and leaned into Riker’s chest happily.

“Want me to go get food to have back at the dorm, or do you want to meet elsewhere afterwards?” Jeff questioned as he propped his chin on Riker’s chest to look up at him. Riker shrugged and pressed his lips lightly to Jeff’s forehead.

“Either is fine with me,” Riker added. Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes as he pinched Riker’s side.

“Ever the complicated human,” Jeff informed.

“Mmh, and yet you still love me,” Riker hummed smugly. Jeff nodded and then kissed Riker.

“That I do,” Jeff said as he pressed their foreheads together.

“Good thing I love you too, then,” Riker informed as he kissed the tip of Jeff’s nose.

“Oh _good_ ,” Jeff giggled before he kissed Riker again. Riker hummed into the kiss and tightened his arms around Jeff. Jeff smiled and then pulled away in order to press their foreheads together again, only to pull apart as they heard someone clear their throat. Riker turned and smiled as he saw Addie standing there. She simply smiled back with one raised eyebrow as she shifted her bag on her shoulder.

“Hey, Addie. This is Jeff, by the way. Jeffry, this is Addie,” Riker introduced as he gestured between them.

“Nice to meet you,” Jeff trilled as he smiled widely at Addie.

“Likewise, because based on that display I can only guess that you can be a leech,” Addie giggled. Jeff pretended to be offended and clapped a hand to his chest dramatically while Riker snorted out a laugh.

“Do not try and out-sass someone you just met, Jeffry Alexander. I will text you later for food,” Riker informed as he placed a steadying hand on Jeff’s neck. Jeff looked over at Riker with a mischievous glint in his eyes and smirked.

“Oh, for _food_ alright,” Jeff purred. Riker smiled and shoved at Jeff’s cheek lightly.

“I don’t know why I love you. Get out of here,” Riker chuckled. Jeff just smiled brightly in Addie’s direction and then skipped off as he waved over his shoulder.

“Love you too, babe!” Jeff added before he burst out of the building in a flurry. Addie stared after him and then looked over at Riker with raised eyebrows.

“He seems to be a handful,” Addie commented breathlessly. Riker shrugged and then walked over to unlock the studio.

“He can be, but I’m an expert at dealing with it,” Riker hummed as he turned the lights on and dropped his bag by the door.

“I would hope so since you’re obviously dating him,” Addie giggled. Riker snorted and shook his head as he dropped his hoodie onto the floor with his bag and then grabbed his phone to plug into the speakers.

“I was an expert _long_ before we started dating. We’ve known each other since we were three,” Riker informed. “I’ve had seventeen years of practice. The only thing that changed over the years was how possessive he became.”

“Interesting,” Addie breathed out. Riker just shrugged and then looked over at her as he released a small sigh.

“How do you want to do this? I usually just put on music and see what works,” Riker huffed out. Addie shrugged as she pulled her hair into a messy bun and then dropped her hands to her hips.

“I’m fine with that. If a certain song sticks out, I will let you know,” Addie added. Riker nodded once and spun around to turn on one of his typical dance playlists. “So, you said you’ve known Jeff for seventeen years. How many of those have you been together?”

“It will be three this November, officially,” Riker replied as they both started to dance around each other. Addie nodded once and released a sigh.

“What about your soul mates?” Addie asked as she glanced at Riker.

“He is my soul mate,” Riker replied easily with a small smile. “It just took us a long time to realize that we were soul mates, and then another _three_ after that realization to establish we weren’t _platonic_ soul mates.”

“Interesting,” Addie breathed out as she nodded once.

“You could say that,” Riker chuckled. “What about you? Have you met yours yet?”

“No,” Addie replied quickly. “And thank god for that. I would not want to be stuck with my ex for the rest of my life.”

“Me either, speaking I am constantly told that she was the _literal spawn of Satan_ ,” Riker informed.

“Interesting,” Addie giggled. “Any particular reason?”

“Because she was a bitch and Jeff is a possessive asshole,” Riker replied with a small shrug. Addie nodded once in understanding and then looked at Riker critically.

“You know, when I ran into you a couple times last year, you did not come across as a dancer,” Addie commented. “Sporty, yes. Dancer? No.”

“Well, I mean, I do other sports as well. I’m a man of many talents,” Riker informed with a flourish as he danced around Addie. She followed his progress with a smile and then rolled her eyes.

“Many talents, you say?” she asked playfully.

“Mmh, yes,” Riker hummed. “I’ve been playing soccer since I was three, and playing piano just as long. Acting came into my life around the age of fourteen, as did singing and dancing.”

“Wow. Broadway, here you come,” Addie laughed. Riker smiled and shook his head.

“Broadway is not my goal. While two of my siblings and one of my sister-in-laws work with Broadway, it is not for me,” Riker commented. “I already have a job anyway. It’s where the acting came from. I’ve been on TV since I was fourteen.”

“What?” Addie squawked. “No way!”

“Yep,” Riker replied. “I’ve been with the Brandywine High series from the start.”

Addie stopped short then and stared at Riker with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. Riker stopped as well and quirked an eyebrow at Addie, who shook her head and then resumed dancing. Riker smiled and followed suit even as he gave Addie a questioning look.

“I’m just shocked, is all. I used to watch that show every damn week,” Addie breathed out. “I don’t know how I didn’t recognize the two of you.”

“It happens sometimes,” Riker informed with a noncommittal shrug.

“Anyway, you mentioned playing piano since you were three. That’s impressive,” Addie informed with an interested look.

“Yeah. My dad was a phenomenal pianist. He worked on Broadway for a while being a pit musician. I was the only one of the three kids who showed interest, and he loved it. Started teaching me the first day I asked about it. Now I’m able to compose my own pieces,” Riker breathed out. “Apparently I inherited all the ridiculous talent I have from my dad.”

“Apparently. You said you’ve only been dancing since you were fourteen, yeah?” Addie asked. Riker nodded and shook his head to himself.

“I got forced into my high school’s singing and dancing group by my sister and Jeff in order to socialize more my freshman year,” Riker said. “I just so happened to become one of the top performers in vocals and dance. By my senior year I was helping with choreography, and then the next year I got asked to choreograph the routines for competitions since I took a gap year. I got to compete as well, and that’s how I ended up with my scholarship here.”

“Impressive,” Addie informed with a smile. “But how come you say you were _forced_ into the group?”

“I was really shut off my freshman year. After a month of being in a boarding school, the only people I talked to were Jeff, Alyssa, Eliana, Blaine, Carter, Trish, Katie, Joey, Jamie, and Lauren,” Riker told her. “Alyssa is my sister, and then Eliana and Blaine are Jeff’s older siblings. Carter, Katie, and Trish I’d known since elementary school. I only gained three people, and that’s because I worked with them on set.”

“Understandable why they wanted to force you into socializing, then,” Addie giggled.

“Yep,” Riker agreed.

“Did the being _shut off_ have anything to do with whatever reason you cut?” Addie asked then in a blasé voice. Riker squeaked and dropped to the floor mid-move and stared up at Addie with wide eyes. Addie stopped as well and looked down at Riker with raised eyebrows. “I’m not stupid. Your wrists are covered in scars. They’re all mostly old, but I know them when I see them.”

“Most people don’t ever broach the subject,” Riker breathed out as he got up and shook his limbs out before he began to dance again. Addie simply threw a smile over her shoulder and shrugged at him.

“Might as well get heavy shit out of the way,” Addie chirped breezily.

“Oh, you wanna go _there_?” Riker asked as he raised his eyebrows at her. Addie gave Riker a serious look and then danced away from him.

“Level not unlocked. Do not pass go,” she deadpanned easily.

“Says the one calling out my scars,” Riker chuffed. “ _But_ , yes, the reason behind them is also why I was closed off. And with that, _level not unlocked, do not pass go_.”

“Ooo, you’re quick,” Addie giggled as she smirked over at Riker. “You’ll do fine.”

“Oh, like we have a choice,” Riker laughed. “But at least Pam paired me with someone who can keep up with me.”

“I’ve been dancing since I was a toddler, _of course_ I can keep up,” Addie scoffed.

“Carson has also been dancing since he was a toddler, and he can’t,” Riker sang as he flounced around Addie, who rolled her eyes.

“Well, you also dance ridiculously well for someone who has only been dancing for, what? Five years?” Addie asked.

“Six,” Riker chirped as he maneuvered around Addie easily as she spun.

“Still, extremely impressive,” Addie informed. Riker just shrugged and then easily did a front flip. Addie smiled and rolled her eyes before she flipped him off. “No need to show off.”

“Always a need to show off my skill,” Riker replied primly. Addie simply rolled her eyes once more and then flit over to her bag as some kind of alarm went off.

“I have to run. I quite like the last song that was playing. Wanna work with that?” Addie asked as she pulled a light jacket on.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Riker agreed as he walked over to grab his phone to text Jeff.

“I can meet next Wednesday as well, if you wanted to start to form actual choreography,” Addie informed as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

“Yep, sounds good,” Riker chirped as he grabbed his own bag and then led Addie out of the room and then locked the door behind them.

“I don’t even want to know how you got trusted with the keys for the studio,” Addie breathed as she shook her head good naturedly. Riker shrugged and spun the keys around his finger as they head towards the door of the building.

“I also have the keys to the piano room and the theater,” Riker commented nonchalantly.

“And you’re in what year?” Addie questioned as she looked up at Riker with furrowed eyebrows.

“Sophomore,” Riker chirped with a smile as he clipped the keys onto his bag. Addie just shook her head and then waved at Riker once they left the building.

“I’ll probably see you in class, and next week for a practice session,” Addie informed. Riker just nodded and then waved as Addie began to jog off towards the town. Riker watched her go and then started in the direction of his dorm, only to be attacked by Jeff, who cackled as he jumped at Riker.

“God, you’re a demon!” Riker exclaimed while Jeff continued to cackle and latched onto Riker’s back tightly.

“A demon that has food and mood lighting and plenty of lube waiting back at your empty dorm,” Jeff informed into Riker’s ear. Riker hummed happily and then hooked his arms beneath Jeff’s knees before he took off towards his dorm at a jog. Jeff giggled from his spot on Riker’s back and hugged Riker around the neck.

“You’re still a demon,” Riker informed as he squeezed Jeff’s leg. Jeff just smiled and rolled his eyes as he hugged Riker a little tighter and then spurred Riker on.

000000

A couple months later found Riker and Addie huddled beneath his raised dorm bed while Addie’s one year old daughter, Jude, slept on top of it. Once Riker found out that Addie had been essentially living at the local shelter, he had taken her and Jude in, and they spent most nights in Macen’s bed while he was either with Kamryn or cuddled with Riker and Jeff.

Addie’s knee was bouncing nervously as she flipped through pages of her script and bit at her nails. Riker sat next to her calmly as he looked through his own copy of the script and highlighted certain things and made notes for himself. Addie heaved out a sigh and Riker looked over at her with a small smile and pulled the script out of her grip.

“Riker, I _need_ that,” she complained as she looked at him with wide, pouting eyes. Riker rolled his eyes and reached out to put both of their scripts on his desk.

“What you _need_ is to take a breather,” Riker informed as he pulled her into his side and began to run his fingers through her hair.

“I don’t have _time_ to take one,” she insisted even as she began to relax in Riker’s arms.

“If you don’t, you’re gonna run yourself into the ground,” Riker told her with a roll of his eyes. “I know from experience.”

“I do too, but nothing has ever been _this_ important,” Addie replied petulantly.

“And the play will still be waiting for you after an hour break,” Riker informed as he shifted them into a more comfortable position. “You don’t need to worry, anyway. You have a great, talented cast…and I’m not just saying that. I’ve worked with almost all of them before. They’re all wonderful.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Addie snorted with a fond roll of her eyes.

“I know, but I have to keep you sane somehow, right?” Riker chuckled. Addie rolled her eyes again and pinched Riker’s stomach while he laughed.

“Tell me something about your dad,” Addie breathed out as she settled against Riker’s chest. Riker released a long breath and bit at his bottom lip while he thought.

“Well, okay, so you know how I said Jeff and I met when we were three, right?” Riker asked.

“Yeah,” Addie replied as she nodded into Riker’s chest once.

“So, apparently my dad was the first one to figure out that Jeff and I were _romantic_ soul mates, and not platonic. None of us are quite sure how he figured it out,” Riker started. “Anyway, we have all discussed how he was probably planning my and Jeff’s wedding and what we should name our kids and all that ridiculous shit, right? Well, we were right. Last year during Christmas we dug through some of his old boxes and found a binder, _a fucking binder_ , of plans he had been making for us.”

“ _What_? No!” Addie exclaimed quietly as she looked up at Riker with a bright smile. Riker just chuckled and nodded as he pushed his bangs away from his face.

“Yeah. Some of the things he had planned were fully _outrageous_ , while some of the stuff we are actually considering to honor him,” Riker informed with a small, private smile on his face.

“That’s adorable,” Addie giggled. “What happened to your dad, anyway?”

“I don’t know. Do you think you’ve unlocked that information yet?” Riker asked as he looked down at Addie with a quirked eyebrow and a playful smile. Addie rolled her eyes and pinched at Riker playfully.

“I live with you. I think I’ve unlocked that,” Addie informed. Riker snorted and then nodded once before he took a deep breath.

“Well, this is all linked to the cutting and the pills and all of that,” Riker told her. “Which is what I meant by _unlocking_ it, but yes, you’ve reached that point.”

“Oh,” Addie breathed out as she shifted to look at Riker and give him a bit more of her attention, realizing that this was serious.

“So, when I was twelve, my dad got shot. I was there. I didn’t witness the actual _shot_ , but I witnessed his death,” Riker sighed out. Addie simply stared at Riker with wide, sad eyes and reached out to squeeze his hand. Riker gave her a small smile and squeezed back. “It all fucked me up, you know? I had nightmares all the time that prevented me from eating and sleeping. Jeff tried his hardest to help me, but he was just a kid too. We kind of stumbled our way through it once we went away to high school. Once Joey knew, he tried to help too. He was the one who called an ambulance sophomore year when they found me passed out in the bathroom with blood pooled around me. Jeff was in no shape to even _try_ and make a call.”

“Understandable since he’s your soul mate,” Addie chuffed out quietly. Riker gave her a small smile and nodded once.

“After that they realized the medications I was on were only making the situation worse. Everything calmed down once I was off the meds for nearly two years. I went through a really terrible relapse and got put back on a different medication senior year of high school, and now here I am,” Riker informed with a sad smile and a flourish.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Addie informed sincerely as she collapsed against Riker and hugged his chest tightly. Riker smiled into Addie’s hair and hugged her back.

“Me too,” Riker breathed out.

“After _that_ , I think you have unlocked my story,” Addie sighed.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Riker told her. Addie shook her head into Riker’s chest and released a heavy breath.

“You deserve to know,” she replied. Riker simply hummed and ran his fingers through her hair soothingly. “Well, both my parents kind-of disappeared on me and my brother when I was nearing the end high school. It messed us both up, but I kinda went off the rails. I moved out here and fell in with a bad crowd and lost touch with my brother. That’s how I met my ex. He got me into even worse stuff, and I didn’t really know how to get out of it. After, about, a year is when he started to get abusive. It started off slow with verbal abuse, and slowly escalated from there. I was so terrified during my pregnancy that he would make me lose Jude, and then once I gave birth I was afraid I would get home from class to find my daughter dead. The best thing he ever did was leave last year and tell me he never wanted to see me again.”

“That explains _so much_ ,” Riker breathed to himself. Addie jolted slightly and looked up at Riker with a shocked expression. “It explains the panicked feelings I had whenever I saw you.”

“Panicked feelings,” Addie deadpanned. Riker nodded and pulled his knees up to his chest when Addie moved away to look at him better.

“Whenever I saw you and essentially missed the chance of really _meeting_ you, I always ended up feeling like I was going to have a panic attack,” Riker told her.

“Why?” Addie asked with a confused expression as she sat back on her knees. Riker snorted and gave Addie a deadpan look.

“C’mon, I _know_ you’re not stupid,” Riker chuffed out.

“Is it because of the platonic soul mate thing?” Addie whispered out cautiously. Riker smiled brightly and nodded once before he pulled her back into his side.

“Granted, I wouldn’t have known for a while if Curt hadn’t keyed me in when I told my family about the panicking,” Riker said as he rubbed Addie’s shoulder. “I would have just been confused when I fully met you and felt calm all of a sudden if he hadn’t. I’ve been seeing in full color since I was three.”

“Do you know if colors become more vibrant when you meet your romantic soul mate?” Addie asked quietly. “I was confused at first because I only see any color when I’m around you, and I’m pretty sure they’re _muted_.”

“According to what Curt has told me, they are definitely muted, and _yes_ , colors become more vibrant,” Riker chuckled. “I grilled Curt about it once so I would know how to answer any questions you may have when we finally talked about this.”

“So your brother has been through this?” Addie asked.

“Mhm,” Riker hummed as he gave her a nod. “He and his roommate Damian are platonic soul mates. Curt had the same panicky feelings I did before he actually _met_ Damian because Damian was in a really bad place mentally. He said once he met Damian, muted colors started to appear, but only when he was _with_ Damian. He also said that once he met Maya, everything changed. Everything came to color in full force and made the world seem so much better.”

“Mmh,” Addie chirped as she leaned heavily into Riker’s side. “At first I was just confused, but the more time I spent around you, the more I understood. I knew it couldn’t be romantic, because first off, you told me you and Jeff are romantic soul mates, and second, I’ve heard the two of you make love.”

“ _What_?” Riker hissed out. Addie snorted and rolled at her eyes before she gestured to the sheet tacked to the ceiling that separated the two halves of the room.

“I basically live here and it’s only a _sheet_ , Rike,” Addie giggled. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. It’s obvious the two of you are so in love. It’s all happy sighs and whispers and small moans. It’s what _real_ intimacy and love is and I hope to have that someday.”

“I can’t even take the weird comment that was because I’m hung up on the fact that you just informed me you’ve heard Jeff and I fuck,” Riker whispered out. Addie barked out a laugh and threw her head back as she slapped at Riker’s chest.

“What I have heard you two do is _not_ fucking,” she informed. “While I’m sure you guys do that too, that is _not_ what I am talking about.”

“Why does Riker look slightly horrified?” Jeff asked as he walked into the room and immediately crawled under the bed with Riker and Addie.

“Because I’ve just informed him that I have heard you two _make looove_ ,” Addie sang with a smug smile. Jeff smiled and rolled his eyes as he leaned over to kiss Riker’s cheek.

“You can’t be _that_ delusional, Rikey,” Jeff chirped primly. “Also, why do you think I insist in you _not_ topping whenever Addison is here?”

“Mmh, good point,” Riker hummed as he looked over at Jeff with a glint in his eye. Jeff smiled back and leaned in to kiss Riker on the mouth this time.

“I love you, but she does _not_ need to hear what comes out of my mouth when you top,” Jeff said nonchalantly as he rubbed Riker’s cheek with his thumb.

“Ugh, yes, thank you,” Addie gagged as she made a face.

“How did this subject even come up?” Jeff wondered as he settled into Riker’s free side.

“We were spilling our dark pasts to each other and finally broached the subject of being platonic soul mates,” Riker said.

“Oh, good,” Jeff giggled as he pat Riker’s stomach. “I’m glad that’s finally out there.”

“ _Jeff_ knew?” Addie squeaked.

“Our whole family knows,” Jeff deadpanned as he looked over at Addie. “I threw him under the bus about the whole panicking thing while we were all together. Curt and Alyssa have been _begging_ to meet you since the start of the school year. You’re lucky Miri has her older two children so tightly chained.”

“You’re lucky Joseph has been containing himself as well. He practically vibrated out of his skin in excitement when he learned about us being dance partners,” Riker snorted.

“Do I need to remind you how _you_ acted on that day?” Jeff asked with raised eyebrows. Riker rolled his eyes and bit at Jeff’s ears while Jeff giggled.

“Very different situations, Jeffry. I just had a weight lifted off of my chest while Joseph is just ridiculous,” Riker retorted. Addie just smiled and rolled her eyes while she watched them interact.

“Again, the epitome of true love,” Addie deadpanned before she darted out from under the bed as they heard Jude start to shuffle around. “Oh! There’s my wonderful, baby girl! Did you have a good nap, Judey Bear?”

“Ikey?” Jude’s small voice yawned out.

“Right here, little one,” Riker chuckled as he crawled out from under the bed and popped his head up over the side of the mattress. Jude smiled happily and then yawned as she rubbed at her eyes.

“Effy?” Jude asked.

“I’m here too,” Jeff giggled as he popped up next to Riker. Jude smiled again and waved at Jeff before she reached out towards her mother. Addie smiled and scooped up her daughter and kissed her cheeks.

“What do you say we go get some dinner?” Addie asked as she laid Jude out to change her diaper. Jude just nodded and rubbed at her eyes while Riker and Jeff jumped into action to get Jude’s diaper bag and winter clothes together. Addie smiled at them gratefully and then went back to the task at hand.

“We ready to go?” Jeff asked a couple minutes later as he watched Riker finish clipping Jude’s shoes into place and then swing the baby onto his hip. Riker smiled widely over at his boyfriend and nodded once while Addie smiled and rolled her eyes at Riker.

“Let’s go,” Addie added as she sauntered her way out of the room, leaving Riker and Jeff to follow after her while Jude giggled and waved at Addie’s back happily.

000000

That summer found all of them gathered at Riker’s house during a weekend Miri was away. Miri had easily taken Addie under her care during winter break, so Addie now lived with the Castellans over breaks. Addie had been cautious at first, but was easily pulled into the fold by Curt and Damian, who sat with her for hours and answered all the questions she had. Riker loved watching as Addie slowly became a part of the family and watched her as she flit around the living room to try and keep up with Jude while their buzzed friends mingled around.

“Jeffry, please, keep it in your pants,” Julia sighed as she gave Jeff a deadpan look. Jeff simply removed his mouth from Riker’s neck and gave Julia a glare of his own while they others all snorted.

“This is minor compared to the last time he was buzzed,” Kamryn giggled as she eyed the bruises forming on Riker’s neck. Macen, Joey, Selena, and Addie both made noises in agreement while Jeff giggled to himself and Riker rolled his eyes.

“That doesn’t mean I want to _see_ it get worse,” Julia informed as she sat back into Grant’s side and took a sip of her drink.

“I know how to keep him in line, don’t worry,” Riker chuckled. “And don’t even talk, guys. Last time he was buzzed I was sleep deprived. I have little control in that state.”

“Agreed,” Joey chuckled as he raised his cup in Riker’s direction. Riker just smiled and rolled his eyes as he tugged lightly at the waistband of Jeff’s bathing suit in order to pull Jeff’s attention away from his neck.

“I just don’t ever want to witness Jeff getting off,” Grant informed as he eyed Jeff, who had his nose buried in Riker’s neck.

“Oh, that’s an experience in its own,” Addie giggled while Joey snorted with laughter and shook his head.

“Both of your experiences are your own fault,” Riker told them stubbornly while he looked over at them with one raised eyebrow.

“Okay, well, I _heard_ you guys more than _saw_ you,” Addie said as she finally caught up to her daughter and scooped Jude up onto her hip while the toddler giggled manically.

“I’m pretty sure we have all heard them at one point,” Selena snorted as she shook her head. “Jeff is very possessive and also very vocal.”

“No, no. Jeff is more vocal when he is bottoming,” Kamryn informed as she pointed in Selena’s direction. “Anyone who has lived in close proximity knows that.”

“My man knows how to take away my filter,” Jeff purred as he gave the rest of them a satisfied smile while Riker rolled his eyes.

“I apologize to all of you, always,” Riker deadpanned as he pinched Jeff’s side lightly while Jeff giggled to himself.

“I heard no apologies in high school,” Joey chuckled as he looked over at Riker with raised eyebrows.

“I heard none from any of you either, and you guys used to hang out outside of our dorm to try and catch us doing shit,” Riker replied.

“Weirdos,” Jeff breathed while Joey cackled manically.

“That is _slightly_ disturbing,” Macen breathed out. “Like, having met your high school group, I’m not surprised, but I am still a bit disturbed.”

“As you should be,” Addie agreed as she set Jude down as Jude squirmed in her arms. “I’ve heard some pretty disturbing stories. They mostly involve Lily.”

“Of course they do,” Grant chuckled. “She is the worst of the group. Selena takes second place.”

“Excuse me!” Selena squawked as she looked over at Grant with wide eyes. “How is Joey not above me?”

“Because they’re a lot closer with Joseph than they are you. Also, while Joey has taken his sweet time _leaving_ the room when they start to go at it, he never walks in on them on purpose,” Grant drawled. Joey snorted at the statement while Selena opened her mouth in preparation to defend herself before she dropped back and clicked her mouth shut.

“I actually can’t argue with that,” Selena informed. “But how is it fair that they’re closer with Joey when they’ve known me longer?”

“Because I spent middle school basically trying to keep you away from Riker with a stick,” Jeff told her as he smiled sweetly over at Selena, who crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.

“Only because you’re a possessive a-hole,” Joey cackled as he reached out to slap at Jeff’s back. Jeff growled then and launched himself in Joey’s direction. Joey barked out a laugh and took off towards the backyard with Jeff on his trail.

“After them!” Kamryn bugled as she shot after them as well, quickly followed by Macen, Julia, Grant, and Selena as they all laughed. Addie and Riker simply watched them all go as they shook their heads.

“Boy!” Jude suddenly squeaked from where she was standing at the window and pointing. “Boy, boy, boy!”  
            “I would hazard a guess and say that a boy is out there,” Addie giggled as she smiled over at her daughter. Riker chuckled and walked over to peek out of the window, only to let out an excited noise as he saw who it was.

“Da!” Jude called stubbornly after Riker as he took off to blast out the front door.

“Kaiden!” Riker exclaimed as he launched himself at his older cousin, who chuckled and caught Riker as best as he could.

“Hey, man,” Kaiden chuckled as he hugged Riker and then clapped him on the back.

“It’s been too long,” Riker informed as he pulled away from Kaiden slightly.

“I would say so,” Kaiden chuckled as he glanced back at Jude, who was sitting in the doorway and calling out stubbornly to Riker. Addie was standing next to her daughter and smiling down at Jude while she leaned against the doorframe.

“ _Da_!” Jude yelled petulantly as she reached out in Riker’s direction and bounced slightly. Riker just chuckled and walked over to scoop up the toddler.

“The little miss is being very _stubborn_ ,” Riker chuckled as he bit playfully at Jude’s neck, causing her to giggle.

“Nuh,” Jude giggled as she pushed at Riker’s face and then buried her face in Riker’s neck. Addie smiled at their interaction and reached out to run a hand through Jude’s dark curls.

“The little miss is always very stubborn when it comes to you, speaking she resorted to calling you _Da_ just now 13,” Addie chuckled. Riker nodded in agreement and bounced Jude on his hip once before he turned to look back at Kaiden, who was frozen and staring at Addie with his head tilted to the side. Kaiden seemed to notice Riker’s gaze and unfroze before he glanced between Riker and Addie and then began to walk over.

“Kay, this is Addie and her daughter Jude. Adds, Judey Bear, this is my older cousin, Kaiden,” Riker introduced as he gestured between them with his free hand. A wide smile spread across Addie’s face and she looked over at Kaiden to greet him. She froze almost immediately and then squeaked before she waved quickly and then darted off towards the stairs. Riker watched her go with a quirked eyebrow and then looked over at his cousin, who was still staring after Addie.

“Wha…?” Kaiden started as he pointed. Riker chuckled and then latched onto Kaiden’s arm to pull him into the house and towards the kitchen. Jude eyed Kaiden with interest, but then turned her attention back to Riker and playing with the ends of his hair.

“Sit,” Riker instructed as he gently nudged Kaiden into a chair. Kaiden dropped into it heavily and then looked over at his younger cousin. Riker just smiled as he leaned back against the counter and adjusted Jude on his hip while she hummed to herself. “Hit me with your questions, man. I can tell you have a lot.”

“Who is she?” Kaiden huffed out.

“She is Addison Chase. She lives here with us during breaks because Mom decided to take Addie under her wing,” Riker informed.

“Any particular reason?” Kaiden asked as he glanced at Jude in Riker’s arms. Riker snorted out a laugh and shook his head.

“Not what you’re thinking. Jude is not my daughter and Addie is not my significant other,” Riker said.

“Da,” Jude countered as she pat at Riker’s cheek and smiled up at him. Riker smiled down at her and ducked down to kiss her forehead.

“Yeah, but you only like to call me _Da_ when you want my attention,” Riker crooned. Jude huffed out a small laugh and scrunched her nose up before she buried her face in Riker’s neck once more.

“So where did the hickies come from, then?” Kaiden asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“ _Rikeeeey_!” Jeff suddenly sang out as he stumbled into the kitchen from the backyard with a wide smile on his face.

“Yes, Jeffry?” Riker asked as he smiled over at Jeff.

“I love you, babe,” Jeff cooed as he walked over to kissed Riker’s cheek sloppily.

“Yes, I love you too,” Riker reassured as Jude giggled and reached out to pat Jeff’s cheeks while he smiled at her and made faces. “And _this_ , Kaiden, is where the hickies came from.”

“Since when has _this_ been happening?” Kaiden asked with raised eyebrows.

“About four and a half years,” Riker chuckled as he shifted Jude on his hip slightly.

“Wait? Kaiden!” Jeff squawked as he noticed Kaiden and launched himself into Kaiden’s lap. Kaiden groaned and then chuckled as Jeff settled into his lap and hugged him tightly. “It’s been _forever_.”

“Five years isn’t forever, Jeffry,” Kaiden snorted. Jeff rolled his eyes exaggeratingly and cuffed the back of Kaiden’s head good-naturedly.

“You’ve missed a lot, okay?” Jeff stated as he wrapped his arm back around Kaiden’s shoulders.

“I can tell, speaking you and Riker are dating now,” Kaiden chuckled. Jeff shrugged and smiled dopily over at Riker, who looked up from Jude in order to smile back at Jeff.

“That was a long time coming, if we’re being honest,” Riker added as he shifted his gaze back to Kaiden. “Now, enough about us. We got distracted from your questions.”

“Yeah. So, if you’re _not_ dating her, how come Miri just took her in?” Kaiden asked as he allowed Jeff to start playing with his hair.

“Well, Addie was not in a great place, but that’s not my story to tell. Aside from Mom being ridiculously caring and mother-like, Addie is also my _platonic_ soul mate,” Riker informed as he quirked an eyebrow at his cousin, who nodded once distractedly while he was deep in thought.

“How do you know it’s only platonic?” Kaiden asked. Riker and Jeff both snorted at that and shared a glance before they turned their attention back to Kaiden.

“Because Jeff and I are soul mates. You know I’ve been able to see color since I was three. I met Jeff when I was three,” Riker said with a fond smile. Jude giggled and pushed at Riker’s cheeks as she kicked her small legs on either side of his hip.

“It’s possible to have both types of soul mates?” Kaiden questioned with his eyebrows furrowed together.

“Apparently so. Curt helped us along with that, because he experienced it first with Damian,” Riker chirped. “It also helped Addie because she was able to ask them questions about it when she met them over winter break.”

“How is it any different?” Kaiden wondered.

“Addie and Riker are definitely connected in a way most people aren’t, but it’s not the same level that Riker and myself are connected,” Jeff input. “That, and Addie is only able to see muted colors when she is around Riker.”

“Mmh, it started happening if she was around you recently,” Riker said as he pointed in Jeff’s direction. “But she told me colors were a bit more muted and she had to be looking _directly_ at you rather than just in your presence 14.”

“Huh. Interesting,” Jeff breathed out as he slid out of Kaiden’s lap and onto the floor. Jude giggled as she watched Jeff and wiggled her hands in his direction before shoving them back into Riker’s hair. “Also, why is this being talked about?”

“Because I’m pretty sure Addie and Kaiden’s worlds just came into color…which is why Addie freaked and ran upstairs,” Riker snorted. Jeff’s face lit up then and he beamed up at Kaiden with shining eyes.

“Oh, put that look away,” Kaiden grumbled as he shoved gently at Jeff’s face. Jeff just giggled manically and crawled back into Kaiden’s lap to hug him roughly around the neck.

“Aw! I’m so happy for you!” Jeff sang as he rubbed his cheeks against Kaiden’s hair while Kaiden went limp beneath Jeff.

“Jeff, calm down and remove yourself from Kaiden,” Riker chuckled as he shifted Jude to his other hip, which pulled a stubborn noise from the one and a half year old before she settled on his other hip.

“But it’s so cute!” Jeff squeaked. “Your count goes up to four!”

“What count?” Kaiden questioned as he looked between Riker and Jeff in confusion.

“The amount of soul mate couples that have met because of us,” Jeff giggled in response as he pressed Kaiden’s cheeks together.

“What? That’s insane,” Kaiden breathed. Riker shrugged and then turned to blow a kiss against Jude’s cheek as she tugged at his shoulder. Jude squeaked out a giggle and then pretended to bite at his shoulder.

“No, Rikey,” Jude giggled out.

“Aw, no eating the Judey Bear?” Riker asked with a dramatic pout.

“Noooooo,” Jude laughed as she pushed at Riker’s face.

“But you’re just so sweet!” Riker informed as he shifted the toddler in his arms in order to pull her up and bite playfully at her neck. Jude squealed and then giggled as she squirmed in Riker’s grip and tried to put his face away.

“No, Da!” Jude finally gasped out. Riker just chuckled and blew one last kiss against Jude’s cheek before he placed her back on his hip as she began to hiccup through her final giggles.

“God, how many people ask if you’re her dad?” Kaiden snorted as he watched Riker with a small smile on his face.

“Most people,” Jeff informed as he watched Riker with a dopey smile. “He’s basically her honorary father, anyway.”

“Yeah, but she’s not _mine_ ,” Riker said with a shrug as he felt Jude start to trace mindless patterns into the skin of his shoulder.

“You’re gonna be just as sickening with our kids, so I don’t know why you get so defensive,” Jeff commented offhandedly as he waved a hand flippantly.

“God, here’s to you dealing with that,” Kaiden chuckled as he clapped Jeff on the shoulder. Jeff just shrugged and smiled dopily in Riker’s direction.

“I love it. I’ve been watching him with kids for the past three years and it makes my nonexistent ovaries want to burst,” Jeff hummed. Riker just smiled and rolled his eyes even as he looked down at Jude and pursed his lips at her. Jude giggled and leaned up to smack a kiss to Riker’s puckered lips before she settled back into his arms. “Like, ugh, _what a man_.”

“Aw, are you dying over Riker the father figure?” Kamryn asked through a giggle as she walked into the kitchen. Jeff hummed happily in response as he continued to stare at Riker while Riker shook his head slightly. Kamryn snorted and then startled slightly as she noticed Kaiden. “Whoa! Riker, do you have a twin we didn’t know about?”

“No, that’s Kaiden, my older cousin. His dad was my dad’s twin,” Riker informed. “Kay, this is Kamryn. She’s an actual menace.”

“Aw, such flattery,” Kamryn crooned as she bat her eyelids at Riker, who snorted and rolled his eyes at her. “But, seriously, you guys could pass as twins.”

“We know,” Riker and Kaiden laughed in response.

“It’s what happens when you’re basically clones of your dads and your dads were clones of each other,” Kaiden added with a small, noncommittal shrug. Riker nodded in agreement and then held out a hand for Jeff to pull him out of Kaiden’s lap. Jeff accepted the hand easily and then pulled Jude into his arms when she reached for him.

“Anyway, the real reason I came in here was because Joey was trying to determine who has seen more stuff happen with you two between him and Addie. Where’d she go?” Kamryn asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

“She bolted up to her room. Good luck getting her down here,” Riker informed with a snort.

“What? Why?” Kamryn asked with a confused expression. Riker snorted and then tipped his head in Kaiden’s direction, causing his cousin to blush. Kamryn looked over at Kaiden and then back at Riker, her expression still confused. “What? What does your cousin have to do with anything?”

“ _Everything_ ,” Riker informed with a quirked eyebrow. An excited smile slowly bloomed across Kamryn’s face then as she glanced between Riker’s smirking face and Kaiden’s blushing one.

“Oh my god! _Addisooooon_!” Kamryn sang loudly as she darted up the stairs.

“Be nice!” Riker and Jeff called out after Kamryn.

“Should I be worried?” Kaiden asked with raised eyebrows as he stared at the spot Kamryn had just disappeared from.

“Nah, Kam’s just excitable. She and Mac are the next closest with Addie aside from Riker and myself,” Jeff informed. Kaiden just nodded once in understanding and then released a long breath.

“C’mon, we’ll go outside and you can meet the others,” Riker chuckled as he clapped Kaiden on the shoulder and then lead them out into the backyard. Jude bugled happily and immediately squirmed out of Jeff’s arms into the grass once they were outside.

“Well, well, well. That’s a face I haven’t seen in _years_ ,” Selena drawled as she smirked over at Kaiden and walked over to hug him. Kaiden chuckled and accepted the hug easily.

“Is this some black, voodoo magic?” Julia asked as she popped up behind Kaiden and looked between Riker and Kaiden.

“Nah, this guy’s butt isn’t as perky as Riker’s,” Macen informed as he circled around Kaiden, who yelped and turned quickly while the others snorted with laughter.

“Stop ogling my butt, Mac,” Riker added through a laugh as he reached out to shove playfully at Macen, who laughed and darted away from Riker.

“I’ve seen your bare butt, I will make judgments on it,” Macen added as he stuck his tongue out at Riker.

“Valid,” Riker conceded with a shrug.

“Why has he seen your butt?” Kaiden asked skeptically.

“Roommates,” Riker and Macen answered in unison with shrugs.

“I’ve also seen Jeff’s butt, so there’s that,” Macen added nonchalantly.

“So have I, what’s it to ya?” Joey cackled as he darted over to tackle Macen, who squawked and fell to the ground easily.

“ _Anyway_ , guys, this is my older cousin, Kaiden. Kay, these are Macen, Julia, Grant, and Joey,” Riker informed as Jeff giggled and piled on top of Macen and Joey.

“How come he has your face?” Grant questioned as he gestured between them.

“Our dads were identical twins, and we’re both clones of our dads,” Kaiden answered with a one shouldered shrug. “It’s a curse.”

“A _handsome_ curse,” Jeff giggled as he rolled off of Macen and Joey in order to crawl over and pull Jude onto his stomach while she giggled.

“Stop objectifying me, _god_ ,” Riker laughed as he kicked lightly at Jeff’s leg. Jeff simply just smiled up at Riker and then blew him a kiss. Jude squeaked in excitement at the action and then did the same. Riker pretended to catch the kiss dramatically and pressed his hands to his heart while Jude giggled and bounced on Jeff’s stomach.

“God, stop being so _domestic_ ,” Grant gagged as he gave Riker a faked, disgusted look. Riker just stuck his tongue out at Grant and then looked back as he heard Kamryn skip into the yard while she giggled.

“Addie should be making her way down soon,” Kamryn informed primly as she darted over to drop down into the grass with Macen, who smiled and accepted her into his side.

“Oh good. If you didn’t get her to come down I feared I would have to _drag_ her down,” Riker chuckled.

“I just reminded her how everything turned out with you and she started to calm down,” Kamryn chirped with a self-satisfied smile before she looked over at Kaiden. “Just don’t expect too much from her right off the bat. It took her _months_ to even open up to Riker. They used to joke about _level not unlocked, do not pass go_.”

“She started that one,” Riker said as he pointed down at Kamryn, who just smiled and rolled her eyes.

“It was still ridiculous. Whenever someone mentioned your depression for a while when she was around you would just squawk out _LEVEL NOT UNLOCKED_ ,” Joey cackled as he walked over to clap Riker on the shoulder.

“That also meant I didn’t want to talk about it,” Riker added as he bumped their shoulders together. “Or that I didn’t feel like having Jeff become a side leech because someone talked about it.”

“ _Rude_ ,” Jeff hissed out as he narrowed his eyes over at Riker even as he held onto Jude’s hands while she bounced around on top of him. Riker smiled sweetly over at Jeff and scrunched up his nose slightly.

“ _Love yooou_ ,” Riker sang.

“Yeah, yeah, love you too,” Jeff deadpanned even as he smiled to himself.

“I guess there are other things I need to be told about, then,” Kaiden said as he gave his cousin a pointed look. Riker shrugged and then pulled Jude into his arms as she reached for him once again.

“Not today,” Riker replied as he smiled down at Jude and swayed her side to side while she hiccupped out giggles.

“Yeah, you have more important things to deal with today,” Jeff giggled as he glanced back at where Addie was standing nervously on the porch. Kaiden eyed her warily and Riker rolled his eyes before he nudged Kaiden forward.

“You will be fine. Just go have a conversation,” Riker instructed as he nudged at Kaiden again. Kaiden just gave Riker a quick glare before he slowly began to make his way over to Addie. They all watched his progress and then snorted when they both awkwardly nodded at each other before they went inside.

“I don’t fully know what’s going on, but that was so awkward it was adorable,” Selena laughed.

“All in due time, my friend,” Jeff informed as he sat up. “Now, let’s go play in the sprinkler while those two figure things out.”

“Spinker!” Jude bugled happily as she flung her small arms into the air. The rest of the group echoed her excitement and then spread out to move things out of the way or help set up the sprinkler to play in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11) Riker, Jeff, Joey, and Selena all took a gap year after high school, so this is their freshman year of college  
> 12) Okay. So this plot point with the platonic soul mates was something I agonized over for a while. I asked, like, five friends about it in a panic, and they all told me it made sense. So obviously I went forth with it. The girl notices a difference the first time she actually meets Riker, as she begins to see muted colors (but only on Riker's presence), while Riker notices no difference (aside from the panic) because of how connected he and Jeff are :)  
> 13) While Riker is not officially Jude's guardian at this point, he does become one after college. Once they graduate from college, Riker legally becomes Jude's father. I never really did research on the matter, I just decided that's how it was going to be since Riker basically became her father the second he met her. She latches onto him easily and Addie adores that, which is why she also pushes for this to happen  
> 14) This whole thing with Addie starting to see muted colors when Jeff is around is partially because of how connected Riker and Jeff are. The other part of it is that Castellans are their own special breed when it comes to soul mate bonds and how connected they are, which is talked about in a later part of the novel


	4. Chapter 4

**Age 30**

“How long until the kids find us?” Jeff asked quietly as he looked over at Riker as they smushed together in the linen closet. Riker shrugged his shoulders and then pressed his ear to the door to try and hear where the kids had gotten to.

“I don’t even hear them. This could be _dangerous_ , knowing our kids,” Riker breathed.

“No, knowing _Lasey_ ,” Jeff corrected with a small snort. “Ryan is not nearly the menace Lasey is.”

“Valid,” Riker agreed with a small nod of his head. “I still blame Artie. I don’t remember you being that mischievous when we were kids.”

“I was, but not like Lase. Our daughter takes it to an art form,” Jeff snorted. Riker nodded in agreement and then jolted back as he heard small footsteps padding down the hallway.

“You gotta _sniff_ ‘em out, ‘Moa,” Lasey’s voice chirped. Samoa chirruped in response and Ryan giggled to himself.

“They’re asking the wrong cat,” Jeff whispered as he leaned into Riker’s space.

“Mhm. But Braxton is a lot less likely to hang around the kids,” Riker chuckled into Jeff’s ear. Jeff nodded once in agreement and then settled back into his previous spot. They both heard the kids start to whisper to each other and they exchanged smirks.

“ _Daaaaddy. Papaaaa_ ,” Lasey trilled out as they heard her grab onto the door knob of the closet.

“Ah! You got us!” Riker exclaimed as he flopped out of the closet and pulled Ryan into his chest while the toddler giggled.

“Only because Braxton _actually_ showed up,” Jeff laughed as he jut his chin out in the direction of Braxton, who was sitting against the opposite wall and staring at them as he flicked his tail.

“Aw, you kids are _cheaters_ ,” Riker informed through a chuckle as he tickled Ryan’s sides while Ryan squealed out giggles. “You’re lucky the cats come to your assistance.”

“I woulda found you,” Lasey informed primly as she stuck her nose in the air. Jeff simply quirked an eyebrow at the five year old and then reached out to ruffle her hair.

“Sure you would, baby girl,” Jeff added as he pushed himself off of the floor and then swung Lasey up onto his hip. “Now, are you two ready for bath time?”

“Yeah!” Ryan and Lasey chorused immediately. Riker chuckled and held Ryan close to his chest before he got up off the floor and then headed towards the bathroom.

“Can we have bubbles tonight?” Lasey asked as she blinked wide eyes up at Jeff, who smiled and shook his head fondly.

“Sure, you guys can have bubbles,” Jeff answered.

“Yay!” Ryan squeaked as he bounced in excitement on Riker’s hip. Riker huffed out a laugh and smacked a kiss to the three year olds cheek before he set Ryan down.

“Which bubbles do you guys want? Grape or berry scented?” Riker asked as he held up the two bottles of bubble bath. Ryan and Lasey looked at one another for a few seconds before they turned to look at Riker.

“Berry,” Lasey answered definitively with a small nod.

“Okey doke. Now, why don’t you both go to the bathroom before we get you in the tub,” Jeff chirped as he accepted the bottle of bubble bath from Riker and nodded towards the toilet.

“I’m not peeing with Ryan in here!” Lasey squawked indignantly.

“She’ll bathe with the little brother, but _god forbid_ she pees in front of him,” Riker snorted as he scooped up Ryan and headed towards his and Jeff’s room.

“Lasey silly,” Ryan giggled as he swung his legs around. Riker hummed in agreement and then helped Ryan to steady himself on the toilet.

“Alrighty, wash hands time,” Riker informed as held Ryan up at the sink.

“But bath time,” Ryan countered as he pouted up at Riker.

“You still have to wash your hands, little man,” Riker chuckled as he kissed the top of Ryan’s head and then turned the sink on and squirted a bit of soap into Ryan’s hands. Ryan shrugged to himself and then obeyed.

“Hands clean!” Ryan proclaimed happily a minute later as he waved his wet hands in Riker’s face. Riker chuckled and blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek as he lifted the toddler onto his hip.

“Back over to your bathroom then!” Riker informed as he bounced Ryan once while the toddler giggled.

“Alrighty, strip it down, little mister,” Jeff chirped as he plucked at Ryan’s shirt once Riker placed Ryan on his feet. Ryan just nodded once and then began to stumble out of his clothes while Lasey giggled at him and wiggled her fingers in the water.

“G’head and get in, Lase. We’ll help Ryan in once he’s ready,” Riker said as he nudged the five year old lightly. Lasey just sent Riker a wide smile and then obeyed, easily settling into the bubbles and grabbing at her favorite rubber duck. Ryan made a face at her and Lasey made once back.

“Be nice, goodness,” Jeff huffed out as he helped Ryan out of his underwear and then placed him in the tub opposite of Lasey.

“There’s no fun in that, Papa,” Lasey informed primly as she glanced mischievously at Jeff from the corner of her eyes. Jeff heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes while Riker chuckled and clapped Jeff on the shoulder.

“It’s your fault she’s like this, and you know it,” Riker added as he leaned in and kissed Jeff’s cheek. Jeff gave another exaggerated eye roll and then pushed at Riker’s face with a small, fond smile. Riker smiled back and then settled onto the floor next to Jeff in front of the tub while Lasey and Ryan splashed about with their bath toys.

“Can we have a story?” Lasey asked as she glanced innocently at her fathers even as she tried to tug a toy out of Ryan’s grip.

“Which one?” Riker questioned as he gently pulled Lasey’s hand off of the toy and handed it back to Ryan, who made a happy noise and kissed Riker’s hand in thanks.

“Colors?” Ryan chirped as he smiled up at Riker, who immediately exchanged a glance and smile with his husband.

“Yeah!” Lasey chirped with excitement as she smiled at Riker and Jeff as well.

“Well, as you know, Daddy and I don’t remember life without color,” Jeff started.

“Mhm, because we met when we were Ryan’s age,” Riker added.

“I do vaguely remember noticing Daddy’s _eyes_ first, though. Obviously I didn’t know what the color was _called_ , but I knew I liked it,” Jeff hummed as he smiled at Riker, who smiled back and leaned their shoulders together. “Most people describe the experience with awe and fascination, but Daddy and I don’t have that, exactly.”

“We always knew color, so we learned about things and each other in different ways than others when they met their soul mates,” Riker hummed. “But we know plenty of people who met their soul mates later and remember starting to see color. Then there are some who saw colors in stages.”

“Like Aunt Lauren, and Addie, and Uncle Curt?” Lasey asked.

“Mhm. Though, Aunt Lauren is for a bit of a different reason,” Jeff chuckled as he reached out to help Lasey wash her hair.

“How come?” Lasey asked innocently while Ryan hummed to himself as Riker washed his hair.

“Because Aunt Lauren has _two_ romantic soul mates. When she met the first one, she saw muted colors all the time. Once she met the second one, all colors showed up,” Riker answered. “With Addie, once she met me, she saw muted colors, but only when _I_ was around. That’s how it was for Uncle Curt too, until they both met their romantic soul mates.”

“Like Devin!” Ryan chirped suddenly with a wide smile on his face.

“What?” Riker and Jeff immediately asked at once as they turned their attention to their son, who giggled and splashed at the bubbles.

“Devy! Things diff’rent when he there!” Ryan hummed with a smile on his face.

“Yeah?” Riker asked as he quirked an eyebrow at Jeff, who just stared at their son in shock. Ryan hummed again and nodded as he easily tipped his head back so Riker could wash the shampoo out of his hair.

“Yah,” Ryan added happily as he turned back to playing with his bath toys.

“What’s different between pl’tonic and r’mantic?” Lasey asked as she looked up at her dads with interest, effectively pulling their attention away from Ryan.

“ _Platonic_ means that the person is the best friend you could ever ask for. That person fits in with you and your other half better than anyone else. _Romantic_ means you love that person with all of your being,” Jeff informed.

“Like you and Daddy,” Lasey chirped with a smile on her face.

“Yes, like me and Daddy,” Jeff agreed with a small chuckle.

“I have that one day?” Lasey asked as she accepted a toy from Ryan and handed her brother one back in response.

“Yes. You and Ryan will both have that one day,” Riker informed as he reached out to pinch her cheek lightly. “And it seems like your brother has already met his platonic soul mate without ever informing us of it.”

“Does everyone have a platonic one?” Lasey questioned.

“No. Some people do, others don’t. _But_ , everyone has a romantic soul mate,” Riker told her as he gently lifted Ryan out of the bath and wrapped the toddler in a towel while Ryan hummed happily to himself. Lasey hummed to herself in thought and stood up so Jeff could help her out of the bath to dry her off.

“Papa, do you have a friend soul mate?” Lasey suddenly asked.

“Mmh, no, I don’t,” Jeff answered as he brushed out her hair. “Daddy and Uncle Curt are the only ones I know with one…and now Ryan, apparently.”

“Devy my bestest friend,” Ryan giggled as Riker dried off his hair. “We gon’ get _old_ together.”

“Oh, I bet, little buddy,” Riker chuckled as he tapped Ryan’s nose and then grabbed Ryan’s new underwear for him. Ryan accepted the item of clothing easily and Riker helped the toddler maneuver his way into them.

“How come some people do have a friend one?” Lasey questioned as she pulled on her own underwear and then accepted a sleep shirt from Jeff.

“We’re not sure, baby girl,” Jeff replied as he ran his fingers through her hair. “Either way, all of our people are very important to us. Addie is almost as important to me as she is to Daddy.”

“What about Martie15?” Ryan asked innocently as his head popped through the collar of his night shirt.

“Oh, Martie is _very_ important to both of us, but in a different way than Addie is,” Riker chuckled.

“I love my Martie,” Ryan giggled as he slumped into Riker’s chest. Riker caught Ryan easily and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“That’s good, because Martie loves you too,” Jeff chuckled as he stood up and swung Lasey onto his hip. Lasey hummed happily and rested her head on Jeff’s shoulder, eyes already drooping.

“Alright, baby boy, ready for bed, now?” Riker asked as he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan nodded once and wrapped his arms around Riker’s neck. Riker just smiled and kissed Ryan’s cheek as he stood up and placed Ryan on his hip.

“Another story?” Lasey yawned as Jeff placed her in her bed.

“Not tonight. You’ve got a lot of information rolling around in your head from all those questions,” Jeff told her as he tucked her in and then kissed her forehead. Lasey simply hummed in response and settled beneath her covers before looking over at Riker, who had just finished tucking Ryan in.

“Night, Daddy,” Lasey whispered.

“Night, Lase,” Riker hummed as he walked over to kiss her forehead as well while Jeff went to say goodnight to Ryan.

“Love you,” both kids chirped sleepily.

“Love you too,” Riker and Jeff replied as they backed out of the room and then shut the door. Once the door was closed, Jeff snorted out a laugh and looked over at Riker with a smirk. Riker smiled back and shook his head as he nudged Jeff towards their bedroom.

“It seems the age of interrogation has _begun_ ,” Jeff giggled.

“Appears so,” Riker agreed with a small shake of his head and a smile. “Mom and Anne would say they got it from us.”

“I mean, they probably did,” Jeff replied as he pulled his shirt off and threw it in with the rest of the dirty laundry. “Apparently we asked about that stuff all the time when we were Ryan’s age.”

“Yep,” Riker snorted as he undressed and then pulled on his sleep pants. “Now, c’mon. Cuddle and catch up on adult show time.”

“Mmh, _yes_ ,” Jeff hummed happily as he and Riker crawled into bed and immediately curled up with each other and turned on the TV.

000000

“What else needs to get done?” Carson asked a few weeks later as he and Riker pored over papers and diagrams spread out across the office of the dance studio Riker and Addie owned. Riker looked around at the papers and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I honestly have _no_ idea,” Riker breathed out. “I always think we have everything together and then I wake up at three in the morning in a cold sweat because I’ve forgotten something. Sometimes I get calls from Addie around that time as well.”

“I mean, you guys are in sync,” Carson snorted as he walked around and plucked at a paper for the costume designs for the youngest age group’s set. Riker hummed and nodded once in agreement and plucked the paper away from Carson.

“Do we really think a bunch of three and four year olds are going to wear these?” Riker asked as he looked down at the tutus and leotards.

“I mean, they’ve worn similar stuff before. Hell, I’ve seen Ryan wear tutus on multiple occasions, and not just to class,” Carson snorted. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he bumped their shoulders together.

“My son doesn’t count in that statement, and you know it,” Riker added. “I’m pretty sure he wears dresses and tutus more than Lasey at this point.”

“Because Lasey is always in gym clothes,” Carson cackled as he clapped Riker on the shoulder. “She’s not even genetically linked to you, yet she’s a little menace on the soccer field.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Riker breathed out as he dropped the page back onto the table with the rest of the costume concepts. “Jeff likes to remind me _constantly_ that our children inherited my ridiculous talents.”

“Oh, I bet he does,” Carson chuckled.

“Hey, how are the recital plans going?” Addie asked as she suddenly poked her head into the office. Carson simply gestured widely to the table full of papers behind them while Riker gave her an exaggerated groan. Addie smiled at the both of them and rolled her eyes slightly. “I think it is okay to take a break.”

“Is that your subtle way of telling me that you are tired of dealing with Ryan and Devin?” Riker questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Addie, who shot him an innocent smile in return.

“ _Maaaaaybe_ ,” she added with a bat of her eyelids. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he walked over to kiss the top of her head.

“Your class is over, yeah?” Riker asked as he placed a hand on top of her head. Addie nodded and released a long sigh.

“Yes. Not with any ease. Ryan and Devin are way ahead of their peers,” Addie sighed out. Riker chuckled and ruffled Addie’s already messy hair.

“I will go keep the two boys occupied,” Riker assured her. Addie sagged in relief and placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek while Carson snorted and shook his head. “Don’t be so relieved. That means _you_ now have to help Carson with the recital stuff.”

“What? _No_!” Addie squeaked as she turned to Riker with wide eyes. Riker simply barked out a laugh and then skipped away with a flippant wave thrown over his shoulder.

“Hi, Daddy,” Jude chirped from behind the front desk where she was spinning in the chair and chewing gum.

“Hello, Judey Bear,” Riker replied as he smiled and ruffled her hair. Jude simply smiled up at him and then snapped a large bubble before she sent the chair into another spin. Riker chuckled at the twelve year old and then headed towards the studio where he could hear Ryan and Devin giggling and singing together.

“Daddy!” Ryan exclaimed happily as he spotted Riker and ran over to latch himself onto Riker’s legs.

“Rikey!” Devin squeaked as he followed Ryan’s suit, curls bouncing around his face. Riker smiled down at the two toddlers and ruffled their hair fondly.

“I heard you two need a way to occupy time,” Riker informed. “Do you want to do your own dancing to a different song?”

“Yah!” both three year olds exclaimed as they looked up at Riker with twin looks of excitement. Riker smiled and walked over to put his phone on the speaker doc.

“You want to try [Too Much to Ask](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljXSjIph5ZM)?” Riker asked. “That’s the one I was working on earlier.”

“Yeah, that one,” Ryan giggled as he and Devin bounced around and then settled into positions while facing each other. Riker smiled at them and turned on the music before he leaned back against the mirrors to watch Ryan and Devin work together.

As the music started, they both looked at each other in contemplation before they nodded once and then started moving. Riker observed with a small smile on his face as the two toddlers exhibited more grace than two three year olds normally had. They placed moves together easily and were soon moving together smoothly.

“Sing, Daddy?” Ryan asked without missing a step while Devin easily spun around him. Riker just smiled and obliged, bringing an enthusiastic smile to his son’s face.

“You know, if you two keep on this track, you’ll be performing solo soon,” Riker informed them as the song came to an end. Ryan and Devin both stumbled to a stop and looked over at Riker with expressions full of wonder.

“Like you, Daddy?” Ryan asked with his head tilted to the side. Riker hummed and nodded as he crouched down to get on their level.

“Yep. You could do dances together if you want, though,” Riker chuckled.

“Yeah! Together,” Devin giggled as he wrapped his arms around Ryan and hugged him tightly. Ryan giggled manically and pulled his arms out in order to hug Devin back and then push Devin to the floor. Devin squawked as they went down and then laughed again as they hugged each other tightly. Riker just smiled and shook his head as he watched them and then looked up as he heard the chair rolling down the hallway.

“Jude Stacy, are you supposed to be rolling down the hallway in the chair?” Riker called out.

“I’m _bored_ ,” Jude drawled as she rolled by the doorway, pulling even more giggles from the two toddlers on the floor. “My classes are done for the day but you and Mom are gonna be here for _hours_ with Carson.”

“You could do your homework,” Riker chuckled. Jude rolled her eyes as she rolled by the door again and gave Riker a deadpan look.

“I finished my homework forever ago,” she huffed out. “There is only so much homework to do. I’m not gonna do _extra_.”

“Set your goals high early,” Riker told her with a smile as she rolled by the door again with a bored expression.

“Did _you_?” Jude countered easily with a raised eyebrow.

“Ah, but at your age, little miss, I had sleeping problems. My goals were high, however my mental and physical capabilities were _low_ ,” Riker informed her. Jude groaned dramatically as she came to a stop in front of the studio doorway and flopped her limbs out, much to the amusement of Ryan and Devin.

“What _ever_ ,” Jude added. Riker just chuckled and walked over to spin the chair slightly, causing Jude to smile.

“Plus, Jeff is gonna be here soon and you can leave with him,” Riker informed her.

“God, you couldn’t have told me that _earlier_?” Jude gasped as she slapped at Riker’s side lightly. “If I had known Pops 16 was coming I wouldn’t have packed food.”

“First, you know he hates when you call him _Pops_. Second, did you think I was going to force my _three year old_ to stay for _hours_ while we plan a whole recital?” Riker questioned as he looked down at Jude with a quirked eyebrow.

“First, _yes_. But I’m the annoying preteen in his life. I have to prepare him for the future menace that is Lasey. Second, I honestly didn’t really think about that aspect,” Jude giggled. “But now I get to spend time with my little man!”

“Yay!” Ryan bugled as he detached himself from Devin and darted over to launch himself into Jude’s lap. Jude giggled and easily caught Ryan and bit playfully at his neck while he laughed hysterically.

“Me too?” Devin asked as he watched Jude and Ryan with an interested expression.

“Aw, how could I forget you, Dev?” Jude asked as she rolled the chair into the room and scooped Devin into her lap as well to blow on his cheeks while he giggled and latched onto Ryan once more. Riker chuckled and shook his head as he watched the three kids and then looked up as he heard a snort.

“Got some interesting kids, we do,” Jeff commented as he walked into the room and pecked Riker on the cheek. Riker hummed in agreement and pulled Jeff into his side easily.

“Where’s the little menace?” Riker asked into Jeff’s ear.

“She ran off to find Addie,” Jeff hummed in response with a small shrug. “She was squawking at the top of her lungs like usual, so I’m sure Addie found her first.”

“Probably,” Riker chuckled before he blew a kiss against Jeff’s cheek. Jeff giggled to himself and then shoved Riker away playfully.

“Ugh, you two are _disgusting_ ,” Jude gagged even as she smiled fondly at them while the two toddlers giggled in her lap.

“We know. All of you like to remind us on a regular basis,” Riker breathed out. Jude smiled sweetly and then blew a kiss in his direction before she rolled across the room with a tight grip on Ryan and Devin. Both squealed out happily and clutched onto Jude’s shoulders as she spun them as they scooted across the room.

“Jude Stacy, stop that,” Addie chastised as she walked into the room with Lasey hanging from her back. Jude rolled her eyes as she brought the chair to a stop and allowed the two toddlers to spill to the floor carefully.

“You’re no fun, Mom. Daddy didn’t tell me to stop,” Jude huffed out.

“Well, Riker is the fun parent while I’m the _actual_ parent,” Addie replied. Jude gave Addie a deadpan look then while Riker snorted.

“We all know that is a lie,” Jude finally chirped before she got up and rolled the chair back out of the room towards the front desk. Riker, Jeff, and Addie all smiled and shook their heads as they watched her go.

“Judey is silly,” Lasey giggled as she carefully wormed her way off of Addie’s back and then skipped her way over to Riker and Jeff.

“You’re pretty silly yourself, miss,” Riker informed as he ruffled her hair. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes as she playfully shoved at Riker’s hand.

“ _No_ , Daddy,” Lasey chirped out as she scrunched up her nose at Riker. Riker just smiled and then nudged at Lasey, who giggled and skipped away. Jeff shook his head as he watched her go and Riker snorted as he nudged Jeff’s side.

“She gets it from you, so I don’t know what you’re shaking your head at,” Riker commented. Jeff rolled his eyes as he gave Riker a brief look before he turned his attention back to the kids.

“ _Nooo_ , Lasey!” Ryan complained loudly as he pushed at his older sister as she squished him to the floor while she cackled manically.

“I save you!” Devin bugled as he wormed his way between the two siblings. Ryan giggled and Lasey made an annoyed noise and then froze as she looked at Devin.

“Thanks, Devy,” Ryan giggled as he and Devin hugged one another. Devin hummed happily and then looked over to say something to Lasey before he froze as well. Lasey tilted her head at him and blinked once while Devin simply stared at her with wide eyes.

“Oh boy,” Riker and Jeff breathed out in unison as they watched Devin scoot over in front of Lasey to inspect her more closely. Ryan watched Devin and Lasey and then shrugged before he skipped over to Riker and Jeff.

“They being weird,” Ryan whispered loudly. Riker chuckled and scooped up Ryan and blew against his cheek.

“I think they’re experiencing something cool, buddy,” Riker informed quietly. Ryan shrugged and then settled into Riker’s arms.

“Hey, you two, c’mon. We gotta get going. Dev, I gotta get you home,” Jeff said as he clapped once. Lasey and Devin immediately tore their gazes away from each other and then darted over to attach themselves to Riker and Jeff’s legs and began to babble excitedly.

“Yes, yes, we know. But you guys need to get home. We can all discuss it with Devin’s parents another day,” Riker said as he used his free hand to ruffle Lasey’s hair.

“Do I hafta go?” Ryan asked as he tightened his grip in Riker’s shirt. Riker smiled and pressed a kiss to Ryan’s forehead.

“Yes, buddy. I’m going to be here for a while yet, and you need to eat dinner and have a bath and get ready for bed,” Riker informed. Ryan made a face, but then easily transferred himself to Jeff’s arms. Jeff smiled and kissed Ryan’s temple as he settled Ryan on his hip. “You’ll be okay with the two babbling kids?”

“I think I can manage it. We handled Darren and Dalton all those years ago,” Jeff chuckled as he looked down at Lasey and Devin who were giggling and poking at each other gleefully.

“Mkay,” Riker hummed as he leaned over to kiss Jeff briefly.

“C’mon, kiddies! Off to the car!” Jeff instructed as he used his free hand to nudge Lasey and Devin towards the front of the studio. The two went easily as they continued to babble happily while pointing at things around them.

“Jude, your ride is about to leave!” Riker called out.

“Coming!” Jude replied as she darted into the hallway as she threw her backpack over her shoulder. Addie followed soon after as she shook her head at her daughter.

“What’s with those two?” Addie asked as she jerked her chin in the direction of Lasey and Devin and crossed her arms over her chest.

“They just met. My guess is they’re now seeing color,” Riker replied as he watched Jeff and Jude usher the two babbling kids out of the studio and to the car.

“Ah, so it has officially _begun_ ,” Addie breathed out. Riker hummed and nodded once with a long breath.

“Yep,” Riker added.

“Well, let’s hope for the best,” Addie giggled as she clapped Riker on the shoulder. “One down, three to go.”

“Two and a half…?” Riker questioned. “Devin is also Ryan’s platonic soul mate.”

“Huh, interesting,” Addie chirped as she nodded once. “Katie hates everyone in day care, so I think we are good for now.”

“Take it while it lasts,” Riker laughed as he ruffled Addie’s hair before they turned and went back to the office to join Carson again.

0~0~0~0~0~0

**Age 47**

Seventeen years later found Riker and Jeff lounged in their living room while Kyler and Avalon17 played with their blocks and Lasey did research at the dining room table. Jeff was slouched into Riker’s side while Riker scrolled through emails on his phone.

“Any news from Lydia?” Jeff yawned as he moved his legs up as Kyler darted by with a manic giggle.

“Mmh, not yet. Last I got was that she had everyone casted and that they were going to get everyone together sometime this week to meet,” Riker replied as he tossed a pillow down in front of Avalon right before she tripped in her usual spot. The toddler giggled and scrunched her nose happily at Riker before she took off after Kyler as he cackled manically. Jeff hummed and watched as the twins chased each other around the dining room table.

“Guys, _honestly_ ,” Lasey huffed out in annoyed voice.

“You’re the one studying at the table,” Jeff chuckled as he looked back at Lasey, who rolled her eyes at Jeff and then pulled her feet up onto the chair to prevent Kyler and Avalon from crawling on them.

“Beans, leave your sister alone,” Riker deadpanned as he looked back at them with a quirked eyebrow. Kyler and Avalon immediately stopped their movements in favor of pouting in Riker’s direction. Riker snorted and shook his head as he turned his attention away from the two three year olds.

“ _But, Daddy_ ,” they both started.

“Nope. Leave Lasey alone. She will let you know when she can play with you,” Riker told them. He heard both of them sigh dramatically before they pad back over to where their toys are.

“Thank you,” Jeff told them as he smiled and reached out to ruffle their hair. Both twins gave him sassy expressions before they folded themselves onto the floor to play again.

“They get that from you and you know it,” Riker snorted quietly. Jeff just rolled his eyes and pinched Riker’s side playfully. Riker chuckled and pulled Jeff closer into his side and kissed Jeff’s temple.

“I admit _nothing_ ,” Jeff added. Riker smiled and pulled Jeff into his lap before he bit lightly at Jeff’s neck. Jeff squeaked out a giggle and then pushed at Riker’s face.

“Ugh, I’m _leaving_ ,” Lasey groaned dramatically as she began to gather up her stuff.

“Probably for the best,” Riker informed. “I have no idea why you thought it was a good idea to study out here anyway.”

“Maybe I simultaneously wanted to spend time with my family, _god_!” Lasey complained loudly.

“She miss Devy, das why,” Avalon giggled as she looked up with a sparkle in her eye. Lasey made a face at her younger sister and Avalon laughed before she made a face back.

“Yeah, not being around your soul mate can be hard,” Jeff hummed as he smiled and opened his arms towards the twins. Both of them giggled and skipped over to jump into Riker and Jeff’s laps.

“You and Daddy do it?” Kyler asked innocently.

“Mmh, not in a very long time. We were not good at being apart,” Riker informed as he ran his fingers through Kyler’s hair. Kyler nodded once and settled into Riker’s lap as he reached out to latch onto Avalon’s hand when she reached out towards him.

“Like that Ky my friend soul mate,” Avalon hummed as she smiled over at her twin, who smiled back.

“Yes, you and Ky are very lucky to be each other’s friend soul mates. It means you will _always_ have someone who is there for you all the time,” Jeff informed as he kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah. Like Devy and Hayds for Ry, right?” Kyler asked.

“Mhm,” Riker and Jeff agreed with small nods. Kyle and Avalon both released hums then as they settled more into Riker and Jeff’s laps to watch the cartoon Jeff had just switched on for them.

“At least they all have _someone_ ,” Jeff snorted as he propped his chin on top of Avalon’s head while she hummed to herself quietly. Riker nodded in agreement and reached out carefully as his phone began to ring.

“What’s up, Ry?” Riker asked as he answered. Ryan released a shaky breath immediately and Riker quirked an eyebrow as he looked over at Jeff, who quirked an eyebrow back.

“Daddy,” Ryan finally breathed out.

“You okay, baby boy?” Riker asked as his muscles tensed up slightly.

“Well, I’m currently holed up in a closet in Lydia’s office, so what does that tell you?” Ryan laughed out without any humor.

“It tells me that you’re freaking out over something,” Riker replied easily. “Want to tell me _what_?”

“What? Why is Ryan freaking out? What’s happening?” Jeff shot out immediately as he looked over at Riker with wide eyes. Riker rolled his eyes and waved Jeff off as he listened to Ryan huff out a nervous laugh from the other side of the line.

“Let him tell me what is happening before _you_ freak out. He’s not _me_ ,” Riker chuckled as he pushed gently at Jeff’s face. Jeff just rolled his eyes and shoved back at Riker before he leaned in closer to try and listen in on the conversation.

“It’s nothing to _freak_ about,” Ryan huffed out.

“Well, you’re the one hiding in Lydia’s closet,” Riker chuckled. Ryan heaved out a sigh and Riker heard him shuffling around a bit.

“I just met my soul mate,” Ryan whispered into the phone after a minute. Riker froze and looked over at Jeff with shocked, wide eyes. Jeff’s eyebrows shot up and he gave Riker a shrug, not having heard what Ryan said.

“And you’re hiding in a closet…?” Riker finally questioned.

“Yes!” Ryan squeaked, quickly followed by a muffled _thump_ and a swear from Ryan as he obviously smacked his hand against the closet door. “I don’t know how to deal with this!”

“Well, typically you _talk_ to them,” Riker snorted. “Unless you’re Addie, or you apparently.”

“Don’t laugh at me!” Ryan whined as Riker continued to chuckle. “This isn’t funny!”

“Baby boy, you’re hiding in a closet. A dark, dank place. You could at least be out in the office taking in all these new colors. I’m sure Lydia would block off her office if you asked her to,” Riker said.

“I don’t want to face that, Daddy,” Ryan whimpered even as Riker pushed Jeff away as Jeff tried to grab at the phone excitedly with a wide smile on his face.

“And why not?” Riker asked as he latched onto Jeff’s wrists with his free hand to pin his husband’s hands down.

“Because what if I’m not good enough?” Ryan whispered.

“Ryan Arthur, shut your god damn mouth with that crap _right now_ ,” Riker hissed out. “I understand that Eric was a piece of shit and fed you a lot of his bull shit, but this person is _made for you_. I’m sure he won’t give two shits about what happened in the past and will probably think the sun shines out of your ass, or something.”

“ _Oooo, Daddy_ ,” both twins chirped out as they looked up at Riker with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, I know, Daddy used a lot of bad words, but your older brother is being self deprecating,” Riker drawled out even as he heard Ryan release a long sigh on the other end of the line. “Plus, if you’re on set right now, isn’t Devin there with you?”

“Yes. He’s sitting on the other side of the closet door,” Ryan informed.

“Wow, I’m impressed he’s not hounding whoever this person is,” Riker chuckled.

“He wanted to. I convinced him not to by pure manipulation of his love for me,” Ryan chirped.

“That sounds about right,” Riker laughed. “But honestly, just have Devin stick with you, like he normally would, and go _talk to this person_. Communication and introductions are the first step, baby boy.”

“I know,” Ryan sighed out. “I just freaked out. Like, I kind of resigned myself to just seeing these grayed out colors for my whole life.”

“Which is ridiculous. You knew Eric wasn’t your soul mate,” Riker said.

“I know,” Ryan replied. “But after everything it just felt like it would be easier not having one.”

“Again, that’s ridiculous,” Riker told his son forcefully. “This person is going to be the person who helps you along. I know it doesn’t seem like that right now, but even without any romantic aspect, they will be able to help you to grow and to build yourself up. I speak from experience.”

“Yeah, yeah. You and Papa are sickening, _I know_ ,” Ryan drawled out.

“Oh, just wait until _you_ get there,” Riker chuckled.

“Ugh, you’re the worst. Why did I even call you,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Because I’m your dad and you know I’m wise,” Riker replied smugly.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night,” Ryan snorted.

“Shush your mouth, get out of that closet, and _go talk to him_ ,” Riker chastised.

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up you. Devin’s already told me that periodically while I’ve been in here,” Ryan chuffed.

“Because he also knows what is best for you. I’m sure he’s going all haywire internally right now,” Riker informed.

“Yeah, I know how this link works after seventeen years, Dad,” Ryan breathed. “And no more snarky responses, I swear I am getting out of the closet.”

“You’ve been out for years, don’t be ridiculous,” Devin’s voice chortled.

“God, you’re the worst,” Ryan huffed out with a small laugh, causing Devin to bark out a laugh.

“Thanks for getting the invalid to remove himself from isolation, Daddio,” Devin chirped into the phone.

“Inform Devin I say he’s welcome,” Riker chuckled. “And keep us updated. Your father may explode if you don’t.”

“I’m sure Papa will survive,” Ryan chirped easily. “But I will. I love you, bye.”

“I love you too, baby boy,” Riker replied. Ryan hummed once more and then hung up. Riker chuckled as he tossed his phone onto the coffee table and then turned his gaze to Jeff, who gave him an expectant look.

“So?” Jeff asked with a wide smile.

“So, it appears our son has finally met his soul mate and responded by hiding in Lydia’s office closet,” Riker told Jeff, who immediately snorted and rolled his eyes.

“His poor soul mate is in for a wild ride,” Jeff breathed out as he leaned his shoulder against Riker’s. Riker hummed in agreement and tipped their heads together as Kyler and Avalon curled up in their laps happily. “On another note, how long until we hound Lydia for information?”

“Oh, I am going to text her later for details and to set up me visiting set for some reason so I can scope out the situation,” Riker chuckled.

“And this is why I love you,” Jeff hummed as he turned to smile up at Riker. Riker smiled back and leaned down to kiss Jeff briefly.

“Love you too,” Riker added before they settled back together in order to finish watching the show they had put on for the twins.

000000

“You be nice to your child,” Lydia hissed out quietly a few weeks later. Riker rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over her chest as he looked down at the small, fiery woman before him. “ _Additionally_ , you be nice to Grayson. He is a sweet kid and doesn’t deserve to be hounded.”

“I did not come here today to _hound_ the poor kid,” Riker chuckled. “I’m sure Devin has had that covered. It’s also the reason why Jeffry was not allowed to come.”

“Mmh,” Lydia hummed. “Though, I’m not sure how much hounding Devin has actually done. I’m not sure if he hasn’t because Ryan requested as such, or if it’s just because they get along that well.”

“I’ll ask him about it,” Riker said as he smiled down at Lydia, who smiled back while she rolled her eyes.

“Your whole family is ridiculous,” Lydia informed.

“I know,” Riker chirped as he bounced slightly and then turned as he heard someone trying to sneak up on him.

“Ah, you with your damn _bat ears_ ,” Devin heaved out dramatically as he slouched his shoulders. Riker just smirked and quirked an eyebrow at Devin.

“Dev, I’ve known you since you were _three_ and you have been around _constantly_ since then. Between you and Lase, I had to become accustomed to listening for sneaking,” Riker laughed as he wrapped an arm around Devin’s shoulders and pulled Devin into his side. Devin chuckled and easily folded himself into Riker’s side to hug him.

“Have you come to scope out the future addition to the insanity?” Devin asked.

“Of course,” Riker replied primly.

“I think you will find him to be adorably innocent,” Devin informed. “I swear, he blushes _constantly_ when Ryan is around. I have no idea how his face hasn’t caught ablaze yet.”

“ _Be nice_ ,” Lydia hissed as she reached out to smack Devin on the shoulder. Devin squawked indignantly and then hid behind Riker in defense while Riker laughed.

“I’m just stating the facts, Lydia!” Devin added as he peeked around Riker’s shoulder. Lydia simply glared at the twenty year old and planted her hands on her hips.

“He is your friend, be nice,” Lydia chastised. Devin rolled his eyes while Riker snorted out another laugh.

“Lyds, you have known Devin and Ryan for nearly ten years. By now you should know that they show affection by teasing one another,” Riker said.

“Doesn’t mean I _approve_ ,” Lydia huffed out.

“Ryan and I have way too much dirt on each other to play nice,” Devin hummed out as he walked out from behind Riker. Riker nodded in agreement and ruffled Devin’s hair.

“Poor Hayden didn’t know what she got sucked into when she met Ryan,” Riker breathed.

“And yet she still chose to move off campus with us,” Devin laughed. Riker nodded once in agreement and then turned to look at who Lydia was giving a look over his shoulder. He immediately came to face a man who was now wearing a shocked expression on his face. Devin barked out a laugh and fell into Riker’s side while Lydia released a sigh and shook her head.

“I tried to warn you, honey,” Lydia sighed out. The man’s face changed immediately as he looked over at Lydia skeptically.

“I’ve known you a week and a half! How do you expect me to know what your eyebrows are saying?” he exclaimed.

“You know what Ryan’s say,” Devin immediately shot out, and then barked out a squeaked laugh as the guy lunged for him.

“I am not saving you from your peer, Devin,” Riker chuckled as he stepped aside as Devin tried to dart behind him. Devin scoffed and then pinched Riker’s arm.

“Some father-in-law you are,” Devin huffed out.

“I’ll be nicer when there is a ring on my daughter’s finger,” Riker replied easily with an innocent smile. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes before he bumped his shoulder into Riker while Riker chuckled. Riker turned back to the other kid then and smiled widely as he held out his hand. “I’m Riker, by the way.”

“Grayson,” the guy replied as he shook Riker’s hand even as he inspected Riker’s face.

“Dad!” Ryan’s nervous voice suddenly squeaked out as he appeared behind Grayson and looked at Riker with wide eyes. Grayson seemed to freeze then and he looked back at Ryan with wide eyes before looking back at Riker. Devin immediately dove behind Lydia in order to stifle his laughter while Lydia sighed heavily and shook her head.

“Hello, baby boy,” Riker said through a small chuckle as he reached out to pull Ryan into a hug and kiss the top of his head.

“Ugh, you’re _embarrassing_ ,” Ryan huffed out even as he smiled and hugged Riker back.

“Oh, you’re full of shit,” Lydia scoffed out as she waved a hand in Ryan’s direction. “I literally watched you curl up in Riker’s lap _two years ago_.”

“Lydia!” Ryan complained loudly while Devin laughed even harder behind Lydia.

“Those were different circumstances, but valid,” Riker chuckled as he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved Riker’s hand away from him before he retreated back to Grayson’s side.

“Any _way_ , Gray, that’s my dad,” Ryan informed as he waved a hand in Riker’s direction.

“I never would have guessed,” Grayson deadpanned as he looked down at Ryan and quirked an eyebrow. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he bumped their shoulders together.

“Shut up. I know I’m a clone. You don’t need to reiterate it,” Ryan trilled.

“Yep. The only thing you got from Martie was your height,” Riker said as he smiled down at his son, who rolled his eyes again.

“No need to remind me I’m kinda short, Dad,” Ryan drawled.

“Aw, but it means you’re the perfect hugging height!” Devin bugled as he jumped out from behind Lydia in order to envelop Ryan in a hug.

“Ah! Demon!” Ryan squawked as he attempted to push Devin off of himself. “Grayson help me!”

“You leave us be, Muscles McGee!” Devin immediately shot out as he attempted to pull Ryan to the ground in a hug.

“I hate you!” Ryan informed as he pushed at Devin, who cackled and then successfully pushed Ryan to the floor.

“Ooo, bad move, Dev,” Grayson chuckled.

“What? Why?” Devin asked even as Ryan cackled manically and then flipped them easily. Devin squeaked and began to try and worm his way out from beneath Ryan with no success.

“You’ve known Ry for _seventeen years_ , and yet you still make this mistake,” Riker breathed out. Devin made a face at Riker, and then squawked indignantly as Ryan latched onto him tightly. Grayson barked out a laugh next to them and quickly jumped out of the way as Devin attempted to grab at his ankle.

“Someone let Lasey know that I have been vanquished and that I died honorably!” Devin called out dramatically.

“There is no honor in this, Devin,” Ryan chuckled as he got up and then threw Devin over his shoulders. Devin hiccupped out a laugh and then latched onto Ryan’s shirt tightly as Ryan ran off. Grayson laughed and easily followed after the pair, cheering Ryan on as Ryan cackled manically.

Lydia and Riker simply watched the trio while they smiled and shook their heads. Riker observed closely as Ryan dumped Devin onto the couch, and then screech as Grayson tackled him to the couch as well. Ryan immediately began to giggle, his whole face lit up with happiness as he scrunched up his nose. Grayson just laughed and hugged Ryan tightly as Devin squirmed his way out from beneath them and then squished their cheeks together.

“They’re good for each other,” Lydia breathed out as she watched with a fond smile on her face. “It’s only been a week and a half, but Ryan is already _so much_ happier.”

“I can see that,” Riker breathed out as he watched Ryan and Grayson settle together while Devin draped himself dramatically across their laps. “I can’t wait to see how this goes.”

“Mmh, me either,” Lydia hummed happily as they continued to watch the trio goof off and laugh together easily.

000000

“No, you _cannot_ go get Lasey and Devin out of bed,” Riker chastised as he looked down at Kyler and Avalon, who pouted dramatically in response.

“But _Christmas Eve_ , Daddy,” Kyler whined.

“Yes, it’s Christmas Eve, but your sister is cranky any day of the year if she is woken up too early,” Jeff snorted from his spot at the sink where he was doing the dishes. Both twins sighed heavily and dropped onto the floor.

“They get these dramatics from you,” Riker informed as he looked over at his husband with a quirked eyebrow. Jeff shrugged in response and then flicked water in Riker’s direction.

“At least they’re not as bad as Lasey,” Jeff hummed. Riker nodded in agreement and then looked over to see Kyler and Avalon sprawled across the kitchen floor as they giggled and poked at each other’s faces.

“Ah, to be young and easily entertained,” Riker breathed. Jeff looked over and snorted as he saw the two toddlers.

“That’s definitely a combination of the two of us,” Jeff chuckled.

“Definitely,” Riker agreed through a snort.

“Morning,” Josh yawned as he walked into the kitchen while he stretched his arms over his head.

“Why are you up so early?” Jeff questioned as he looked over at Josh with a quirked eyebrow.

“I literally got _kicked_ out of bed by a ten year old,” Josh replied as he easily stepped over the twins on the floor and collapsed onto a stool at the island counter.

“Ah, yes. Brant is famous for that18,” Riker chuckled as he easily handed his nephew a cup of coffee. Josh hummed in agreement and accepted the mug gratefully.

“Anyone else awake?” Josh questioned.

“I think just us,” Jeff replied.

“Mmh, no. Ryan and Grayson snuck down earlier and went into the back room,” Riker corrected. Jeff shrugged and hummed slightly in interest.

“Those two are ridiculously sweet,” Josh said after he swallowed a sip of coffee. “Like, the worst I’ve seen since Jude and Leon.”

“Oh, we know,” Riker chuckled. “Jeff likes to tease Ryan about it.”

“Yeah I do,” Jeff giggled in response as he looked over at Josh with a smirk. “Feel free to join in. It’s fun to watch both of them go beet red.”

“Aw, so mean to your child,” Josh laughed as he allowed Avalon to climb into his lap.

“We _have_ to tease him after all his self deprecating bs,” Riker informed with a small shrug. Josh hummed and nodded once in agreement as he took another sip of coffee.

“I like Grayson. He very nice,” Kyler informed as he reached up to Riker, who smiled and placed the toddler on the counter to sit.

“Yah. He make Ry smile _lots_ ,” Avalon piped up as she climbed into the counter as well.

“Yes, he does,” Jeff agreed happily as he walked over to ruffle each of the twins’ hair. “And we have to make sure Ry knows it’s adorable, yeah?”

“Yeah!” Kyler and Avalon bugled with excitement. Riker chuckled and leaned over to smack a kiss to Jeff’s cheek, pulling a giggle from Jeff.

“What a terrible influence you are,” Riker breathed. Jeff just smiled and shrugged one shoulder before he smacked a kiss to Riker’s cheek and then went over to grab a mug of coffee.

“I don’t know what you are talking about _exactly_ , but yes,” Lasey yawned as she and Devin stumbled their way into the kitchen.

“What a terrible influence your father is on the beans,” Riker told her as he got a mug out for her.

“Oh, then definitely,” Lasey giggled as she accepted the mug from Riker and then walked over to pour coffee into it.

“You’re no better,” Devin chuckled as he got a mug for coffee as well. Lasey rolled her eyes, but otherwise did not respond to Devin.

“How come you’re awake so early, Josh?” Lasey asked.

“Brant kicked me out of bed,” Josh replied easily with a small shrug. Lasey hummed and nodded in understanding.

“His feet are tiny but mighty,” she breathed out.

“Mhm,” Josh agreed with a small shake of his head.

“Also, where’s Ry?” Lasey questioned. “His room was empty.”

“Apparently he and Grayson are hiding out in the back room,” Jeff replied.

“Oh, _that_ won’t do,” Devin tutted with a shake of his head.

“Aw, you read my mind, babe,” Lasey trilled as she bat her eyelids at Devin and smiled sweetly. “Now, c’mon, beanies. Let’s go retrieve our brother.”

“Yay!” Avalon and Kyler bugled as Lasey and Devin scooped them up off the couch and went to head out of the kitchen.

“Be nice,” Riker and Jeff called out after them in deadpan. Josh just snorted into his coffee and shook his head while Lasey threw a noncommittal wave over her shoulder before they disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later they heard Ryan grunt out in annoyance while Lasey and Devin cackled manically.

“God, you’re the worst,” Grayson’s voice grumbled out, which only increased Lasey and Devin’s laughter.

“You let this happen, Daddy and Papa! You’re dead to me!” Ryan called out.

“We have no control over those two and you know it,” Jeff replied easily while Lasey giggled and reappeared with Kyler bouncing on her hip while he giggled.

“It was time for them to come socialize,” Lasey added in a chipper tone. “Devin and I just aided the process.”

“Because you’re a _demon_ ,” Ryan hissed out as he and Grayson appeared behind Devin, who was beaming proudly.

“I never said I wasn’t,” Lasey replied with a smile as she dropped Kyler onto the couch. Ryan rolled his eyes and then sat down on the couch next to Kyler, who immediately crawled into his lap. Ryan smiled and hugged Kyler tightly while Grayson sank onto the couch next to Ryan and leaned into Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan smiled up at Grayson and then curled into his side, head rested on Grayson’s shoulder.

“As long as you can acknowledge it,” Ryan breathed out as he and Grayson settled together as Avalon climbed into their laps as well.

“I’ve _always_ acknowledged it,” Lasey sniffed out primly as she threw her hair over her shoulder and then sat down on Ryan’s free side. Ryan rolled his eyes even as he smiled over at Lasey and reached out to shove her shoulder playfully.

“Aw, I’m joining the love fest,” Devin giggled as he dropped onto the couch on Lasey’s free side. Lasey giggled and easily pulled Devin into her side and kissed his temple.

“Now we’re cuddling with _two_ demons,” Ryan whispered out loudly.

“They’re your sister and your soul mate, don’t blame me,” Grayson chuckled in response. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes even as Devin and Lasey made twin noises of mock offence.

“I thought I meant more to you than _that_ by now, Grayson,” Devin gasped out.

“Well, think again, Porter,” Grayson drawled out. Devin clapped a hand to his chest dramatically, but then snorted before he laughed. Grayson smiled over at Devin and then snorted as Ryan pat at his chest fondly.

“I’m gonna worm my way into her heart soon enough, Hartwell,” Lasey breathed out as she inspected her nails nonchalantly.

“Mmh, you think too much of yourself, Castellan,” Grayson replied through a chuckle. Lasey looked over at Grayson with a quirked eyebrow then and then waggled a finger in his direction.

“You watch it,” she hissed out while Ryan and Devin snorted on either side of her. Grayson simply matched her gaze without blinking, easily ignoring the toddler squirming around in his lap.

“God, this is ridiculous,” Josh breathed out.

“Mhm,” Riker and Jeff agreed with small chuckles as they watched Grayson and Lasey stare each other down before they both broke out into laughter.

“At least we know he can handle her bullshit,” Riker chuckled as they watched as the two couples and the twins settled together on the couch and goofed around.

“Yep,” Jeff agreed as he leaned into Riker’s side and watched the kids fondly. “It’s nice to know they have their people.”

“That it is,” Riker breathed out happily as he smiled and tipped his head against Jeff’s as they watched Ryan and Grayson curl together easily with the twins while Devin and Lasey giggled and poked at each other playfully.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 15) Martie is Ryan and Lasey's nickname for Artemis. She was Riker and Jeff's surrogate for the two, and they grow up knowing that she is their bio mom, so they mix together "mom" and "Artie", which Artemis loves deeply  
> 16) Since Riker is legally Jude's dad, she treats Jeff as a second dad and typically calls him "Pops" to get on his nerves ever since Jeff became "Papa" once Lasey was born  
> 17) Riker and Jeff decide to have another kid at age 44, but end up with the twins (lovingly nicknamed "the beans") instead. There is a whole explanation in another story I wrote, which is uploaded in my account if you're interested. Or you can just ask. Either works  
> 18) Brant (also lovingly known as Sir Brant by his request) is Darren and Dalton's son, while Josh is Curt and Maya's second child


	5. Chapter 5

Unlike his fathers, Ryan did not meet his soul mate at the age of three. At that age, he simply met one of his platonic soul mates, and he was grateful for Devin’s presence in his life. Hayden popped up in his life when they were all eighteen, and with her brought the presence of grayed out colors at all times, rather than just when Devin was around.

Eighteen was also when Ryan gave up on the hope of ever finding his true soul mate. His ex put it into his head that he wasn’t worth time or love, and after a year of the abuse and manipulation, Ryan began to believe him. Devin, Hayden, and Ryan’s parents all tried to convince him otherwise, but Ryan had come to peace with the mindset that he was never going to see in full color, which is why it rocked him to his core when he suddenly did19.

~~~~~~

“God, why is it already so _terrible_ out?” Ryan complained as he ducked into the studio out of the unusual May heat. Hestia simply panted happily and nudged her nose into Ryan’s leg before she attempted to tug him in the direction of Devin. Ryan smiled down at the dog and followed her lead, only to get stopped and enveloped in a hug from Josh.

“Hey, kiddo!” Josh bellowed out.

“I’m twenty, hardly a _kid_ anymore,” Ryan chuckled as he easily accepted the hug from Josh.

“I’ve known you since you were ten, you’re a kid always,” Josh chuckled in response as he pulled away and ruffled Ryan’s hair fondly. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he jabbed his elbow into Josh’s side.

“I’ve changed a lot since I was ten,” he added.

“Oh, I know,” Josh replied with a wide smile. “Back then I got to experiment with special effects make up on you, now I get to use my skills to cover your tattoos.”

“That is a valid statement,” Ryan laughed as he tugged on Hestia’s leash slightly in order to get her to sit down. “At least you don’t have to turn me into a creature this time.”

“That was all you and Devin, don’t even _try_ and pass that off as anything else,” Josh barked out. Ryan smiled innocently at Josh and then turned as he heard Devin whistle at him.

“And, that’s my queue to leave. Later, Joshy!” Ryan chirped as he took off in Devin’s direction.

“Still not acceptable to call me that!” Josh called out after Ryan, who simply waved a hand over his shoulder.

“God, why did you bring Hesty?” Devin asked as Ryan reached him. Ryan shrugged and leaned down to adjust Hestia’s harness as she wiggled about.

“I didn’t want her to be lonely at the apartment. Hayden is out all day today with Lowell,” Ryan added.

“She would have survived until we got back,” Devin snorted as he nudged Ryan’s leg with his foot.

“Don’t tell me how to treat my daughter, _god_ ,” Ryan drawled out through a smile as he looked up at Devin, who smiled back and rolled his eyes.

“Aside from you being ridiculous with your dog, there’s also some dude who is eyeballing you _hardcore_ ,” Devin informed with a smirk.

“What?” Ryan squawked as he looked up at Devin with wide eyes. Devin chuckled and jut his chin out in the direction of the person.

“He’s a looker, too,” Devin chirped as he looked down at Ryan, who was still staring up at his friend with wide eyes. “And stop looking at me like that. We both know people find you ridiculously attractive.”

“Shut up,” Ryan chuckled as he finally unfroze and reached out to slap Devin’s leg before he stood up fully.

“You shut up. And he’s still looking at you, so there’s that,” Devin said as he slapped at Ryan’s arm. Ryan rolled his eyes and then chanced a look over at the guy Devin had pointed out earlier.

He met with the curious gaze of the other person, and then immediately froze. The other guy’s eyes widened and Ryan squeaked before he unthinkingly dropped Hestia’s leash and then darted off in the direction of Lydia’s office.

“What? Ryan!” Devin called out after him as he quickly grabbed Hestia’s leash before she could dart off in excitement. Ryan paid no attention to Devin and Devin heaved out a sigh before he slowly began to follow Ryan’s path.

“Dev, why did Ryan just run into my office closet and close the door?” Lydia questioned as she walked out of her office and gave Devin a questioning look.

“I don’t know. I told him some guy was looking at him, he looked over, then froze, and then ran back here like his ass was on fire,” Devin replied. They both heard a stubborn noise from within the closet and they both rolled their eyes.

“You’re more likely to get it out of him than me. Go talk to him,” Lydia scoffed before she sashayed away with a wave thrown over her shoulder. Devin watched her go and then shook his head before he walked into the office and closed the door.

“You gonna come out?” Devin asked as he wordlessly instructed Hestia to lie down.

“No,” Ryan replied in a muffled voice a few seconds later. Devin heaved out a sigh and slid down against the closed closet door.

“Wanna tell me what the fuck that was about?” Devin asked this time as he pulled his knees up to his chest and draped his arms over them. He heard Ryan release a long breath and he quirked an eyebrow as he waited for his best friend to answer.

“Whoever that guy is, he’s my soul mate,” Ryan finally breathed out.

“ _What_? And you’re hiding in a damn _closet_ right now?” Devin squawked.

“Yes!” Ryan exclaimed defensively. Devin pinched the bridge of his nose and released a long breath, trying to push down the panicked feelings he was getting from Ryan.

“Hayden’s gonna kill you, by the way,” Devin breathed out. “Your ridiculous panic is leaking through.”

“It’s not _ridiculous_ ,” Ryan replied petulantly.

“Mhm, okay,” Devin informed as he picked at his fingers. “Want me to go talk to this guy, by the way?”

“What? No!” Ryan squeaked out. “I don’t wanna come out, but I also don’t want you to leave me!”

“That’s fine, _calm down_. Plus, if you’re that panicky, call your dad. That always helps,” Devin hummed.

“Mkay,” Ryan breathed out. He heard Devin nod once as his head rubbed against the door and he released another breath as he pulled his phone out and dialed Riker’s number.

“What’s up, Ry?” Riker’s voice asked a few seconds later. Ryan let out a shaky breath and he could visualize Riker raising his eyebrow in question.

“Daddy,” Ryan whispered.

“You okay, baby boy?” Riker asked in concern.

“Well, I’m currently holed up in a closet in Lydia’s office, so what does that tell you?” Ryan huffed out without any amusement.

“It tells me that you’re freaking out over something,” Riker informed. “Want to tell me what?”

“What? Why is Ryan freaking out? What’s happening?” Jeff’s voice wavered in the background.

“Let him tell me what is happening before _you_ freak out. He’s not _me_ ,” Riker chastised Jeff. Ryan smiled slightly to himself, easily imagining Riker pushing Jeff gently away as Jeff flailed.

“It’s nothing to _freak_ about,” Ryan finally informed.

“Well, you’re the one hiding in Lydia’s closet,” Riker chuckled in response. Ryan shifted positions and released another sigh.

“I just met my soul mate,” Ryan whispered. The line went silent and Ryan curled in on himself even more, waiting for the response.

“And you’re hiding in a closet…?” Riker finally asked.

“Yes!” Ryan exclaimed, flailing an arm out and immediately smacking his hand against the door, resulting in a swear. “I don’t know how to deal with this!”

“Well, typically you _talk_ to them,” Riker informed through a laugh. “Unless you’re Addie, or _you_ apparently.”

“Don’t laugh at me!” Ryan whimpered as he heard Riker continue to laugh. “This isn’t funny!”

“Yes it is,” Devin snorted from the other side of the door. “You’re literally hiding in a closet.”

“Baby boy, you’re hiding in a closet. A dark, dank place. You could at least be out in the office taking in all these new colors. I’m sure Lydia would block off her office if you ask her to,” Riker chuckled as Ryan kicked at the closet door.

“I don’t want to face that, Daddy,” Ryan whispered as Devin sighed heavily on the other side of the door.

“And why not?” Riker questioned skeptically.

“Because what if I’m not good enough?” Ryan asked quietly.

“Ryan Arthur, shut your god damn mouth with that crap _right now_ ,” Riker immediately shot out. “I understand that Eric was a piece of shit and fed you a lot of bull shit, but this person is _made for you_. I’m sure he won’t give two shits about what happened in the past and will probably think the sun shines out of your ass, or something.”

Ryan smiled slightly as he heard the twins croon at Riker in the background before Riker chastised them easily.

“Plus, if you’re on set right now, isn’t Devin there with you?” Riker finally asked.

“Yes. He’s sitting on the other side of the closet door,” Ryan told him.

“Wow, I’m impressed he’s not hounding whoever this person is,” Riker laughed out.

“He wanted to. I convinced him not to by pure manipulation of his love for me,” Ryan informed primly. He heard Devin snort on the other side of the door and then knock on it.

“I shouldn’t have to go talk to this guy _for you_ , asshole,” Devin added. Ryan rolled his eyes and then turned his attention back to his phone.

“That sounds about right,” Riker chuckled. “But honestly, just have Devin stick with you, like he normally would, and go _talk to this person_. Communication and introductions are the first step, baby boy.”

“I know. I just freaked out. Like, I kind of resigned myself to just seeing these grayed out colors for my whole life,” Ryan breathed out.

“Which is ridiculous. You knew Eric wasn’t your soul mate,” Riker informed.

“I know,” Ryan sighed. “But after everything it just felt like it would be easier not having one.”

“Again, that’s ridiculous,” Riker scolded. “This person is going to be the person who helps you along. I know it doesn’t seem like that right now, but even without any romantic aspect, they will be able to help you to grow and to build yourself up. I speak from experience.”

“Yeah, yeah. You and Papa are sickening, _I know_ ,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Oh, just wait until _you_ get there,” Riker laughed.

“Ugh, you’re the worst. Why did I even call you,” Ryan drawled.

“Because I’m your dad and you know I’m wise,” Riker chirped.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night,” Ryan chuckled.

“Shush your mouth, get out of that closet, and _go talk to him_ ,” Riker chided.

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up you. Devin’s already told me that periodically while I’ve been in here,” Ryan informed.

“Because he also knows what is best for you. I’m sure he’s going all haywire internally right now,” Riker said.

“Yeah, I know how this link works after seventeen years, Dad,” Ryan huffed out. “And no more snarky responses, I swear I am getting out of the closet.”

“You’ve been out for years, don’t be ridiculous,” Devin laughed.

“God, you’re the worst,” Ryan grunted through a small laugh. Devin simply barked out a laugh in response and clapped Ryan on the shoulder before he grabbed back onto Hestia’s leash and then leaned in towards Ryan’s phone.

“Thanks for getting the invalid to remove himself from isolation, Daddio,” Devin chirped with a wide smile. Riker chuckled and Ryan rolled his eyes as he pinched Devin’s arm.

“Inform Devin I say he’s welcome. And keep us updated. Your father may explode if you don’t,” Riker hummed.

“I’m sure Papa will survive,” Ryan drawled. “But I will. I love you, bye.”

“I love you too, baby boy,” Riker hummed in response. Ryan hummed in response and then hung up as he took a deep breath to steady himself. Devin chuckled and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“You gonna make it, dude?” Devin asked. Ryan opened his eyes to meet Devin’s and shrugged.

“I honestly don’t know,” Ryan replied.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Devin informed. “And I’m sure this guy is probably freaking out. Not many people respond to meeting their soul mate by _running away_.” 

“Shut up,” Ryan grunted stubbornly as he pushed Devin. Devin just barked out a laugh and then darted ahead of Ryan out of Lydia’s office.

“Ah, so you’ve removed yourself from my closet?” Lydia asked as she looked at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow. Ryan nodded once and Lydia shook her head slightly. “Is your freak out somehow connected to the reason Grayson is currently pacing a rut into the floor out there?”

“ _Oooo_ , _Graaaayson_ ,” Devin sang as he looked back at Ryan with a smirk and bat his eyelids. Ryan rolled his eyes, but then ignored Devin as he turned to Lydia.

“Uh, probably,” he told her. “I am going to attempt to smooth some things over.”

“Good. Because you’re going to be working closely with him throughout this whole filming. He is your character’s best friend, and possible love interest if there are more movies,” Lydia informed primly.

“ _Oooooohooohooo_!” Devin cackled out in glee while Ryan just blinked after Lydia’s retreating form. “Come on, buddy. I’ll be with you the whole time, promise.”

“You better,” Ryan grunted as he grabbed Hestia’s leash from Devin and then walked off. Devin snorted behind him and caught up easily, slinging an arm across Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan smiled and bumped their hips together as they walked.

“You got this,” Devin whispered as they spotted the guy pacing back and forth. Ryan took a deep breath and nodded before he tightened his grip on Hestia’s leash and walked towards the guy.

“Hi,” Ryan breathed out shakily. The guy immediately stopped and turned to look at Ryan with a concerned expression. “Sorry for bolting earlier. I’m Ryan.”

“Grayson,” the guy breathed out, some of the tension in his shoulders visibly releasing. Ryan smiled slightly as he noticed and released some of his hold on Hestia’s leash. Hestia wagged her tail madly and nudged at Ryan’s leg with her nose. Ryan smiled and pat her head before he looked back up at Grayson.

“This is Hestia, by the way. She doesn’t like to be ignored by new people, but if you don’t want to be covered in dog slobber, feel free to ignore her,” Ryan informed.

“Aw, no. How could you ignore that face?” Grayson immediately crooned as he looked down at Hestia and then knelt in front of her. Hestia’s tail immediately began to wag even faster as she got up in Grayson’s face to sniff him thoroughly before she started to lick at his cheeks. Grayson just chuckled through the whole experience and then ruffled her ears happily.

“Aw man, she’s gonna love you _forever_ now,” Devin chuckled as he walked up. “I’m Devin, by the way.”

“Grayson,” Grayson informed as he smiled up at Devin and then stood up to shake his hand. Devin smirked and quirked an eyebrow at Ryan, who rolled his eyes and jabbed Devin’s side with his elbow in response.

“How did you end up auditioning for this lovely film?” Devin questioned as he dropped onto the couch behind them.

“Oh, I attend college close by and saw the flyers on campus,” Grayson replied with a small, noncommittal shrug.

“Yeah? Which college?” Ryan asked as he sat down next to Devin and allowed Hestia to insert herself between his legs to get pet.

“Swarthmore,” Grayson informed with a small shrug as he sat down as well and allowed Hestia to lick happily at his hands.

“What? No!” Devin exclaimed as he flailed forward, pulling a snort from Ryan. “That’s where we go!”

“Yeah?” Grayson asked in response as he eyed Devin warily.

“Yeah. Dev’s a film major. I double major in theater and dance,” Ryan informed as he nudged Devin back slightly.

“Following in Daddy’s footsteps,” Devin crooned as he bat his eyelids at Ryan, who snorted and shoved playfully at Devin’s shoulder.

“You’re forgetting that Dad did music as well,” Ryan chuckled.

“Geez,” Grayson breathed out. “I thought double majoring was bad. I can’t imagine doing _three_.”

“Dad barely had to lift a finger, if we’re being honest,” Ryan drawled. “But, what do you double in?”

“Art and biology,” Grayson snorted.

“Wow! More than one of those exists!” Devin chirped as Ryan snorted to himself. “I thought we knew the only one!”

“Nope. There are six of us in the junior class,” Grayson informed with a small smile.

“Oh! Do you know Hayden, then?” Ryan asked as he looked over at Grayson with interest.

“Yeah. I’m guessing you do as well,” Grayson replied.

“She’s our roommate,” Devin informed with a smile while Ryan nodded in agreement. Grayson’s eyebrows shot up then as he inspected the two of them and then shook his head.

“Ooo, do stories precede us?” Ryan giggled as he looked over at Devin with an expression of glee. Devin mirrored the expression and rubbed his hands together in excitement.

“Oh, they definitely do,” Grayson breathed out. “They all seem so _ridiculous_ , though.”

“Ridiculous is our expertise,” Devin informed with a mischievous smirk.

“If any of the stories she has told me are true, I would have to agree with you,” Grayson said. Ryan giggled manically and then cupped Hestia’s muzzle with his hands.

“How about that, Hesty? Aunty Hayds says Devy and I are ridiculous,” Ryan crooned before he smacked a kiss to Hestia’s muzzle. Hestia simply wagged her tail and huffed out a small, happy bark.  Ryan giggled and pulled her up to hug her to his chest while she wiggled in his arms happily. Devin simply smiled and shook his head at Ryan while Grayson simply watched with a small, fond smile.

“Hey! Stop cuddling your dog and get over here for me to practice with your side tattoo!” Josh suddenly called out. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he gently nudged Hestia out of his lap and into Devin’s.

“Duty calls,” Ryan breathed as he backed away from the other two and saluted them. Devin snorted and did the same in response while Grayson simply smiled at Ryan and shook his head slightly. Ryan smiled back at Grayson and then turned around to walk forward, feeling as if a weight was falling off of his shoulders.

000000

“So, your dad?” Grayson asked a few weeks later as he looked over in Riker’s direction where Riker was still talking with Lydia. Ryan heaved out a sigh and settled into the couch where he was squished between Grayson and Devin. Devin simply snorted out a laugh and clapped a hand to Ryan’s knee.

“Be glad it’s not Jeffry,” Devin added quietly.

“God, don’t I know it,” Ryan breathed to Devin before he turned to look at Grayson. “But yeah, that’s my dad. Obviously my _biological_ one. He can be a really relaxed person, but he’s also protective.”

“Not without reason,” Devin tacked out as he pointed over in Grayson’s direction. “That man is the _epitome_ of a mama bear.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Ryan snorted as he shoved at Devin lightly. “You know he gets pissy when we call him the mama, even though he totally is.”

“Because he’s weird,” Devin chuckled while Grayson smiled and shook his head slightly at them.

“Any reason he showed up?” Grayson asked. Ryan shrugged while Devin attempted to cover up a snort.

“I heard something about piano issues, so probably that,” Ryan informed.

“He works with pianos?” Grayson questioned as he looked at Ryan with raised eyebrows. Ryan hummed and nodded in response as he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

“Dad’s been playing piano since he was three and has been composing and actually working on pianos since he was fourteen,” Ryan added. “I think Lydia trusts him with the pianos she uses more so than the people she hires to play them for her projects.”

“Hold on. He’s been _playing_ since he was _three_?” Grayson gasped. Devin and Ryan both hummed in ascent as they settled against one another.

“He showed interest and Grandpa was more than willing to teach him,” Ryan chirped. “Apparently Grandpa is where all the talent came from on the Castellan side.”

“What do you mean?” Grayson asked.

“Oh, every Castellan child is ridiculously talented in theater. Darren included, and he’s not even blood related,” Devin snorted. “Curt is a set designer, Alyssa is a makeup artist, and Darren is an actor and singer. All of them work on Broadway. Riker is a jack of all trades. He’s dabbled a bit in set designing and makeup, and has had his entire being involved in acting and dancing and singing since he was fourteen.”

“Mhm. Dad’s also a brilliant pianist. He’s acted on Broadway, as well as been a pit musician,” Ryan informed. Grayson gaped at them and then shook his head in disbelief.

“Well, that explains where _you_ get it,” Grayson breathed. Ryan giggled to himself and nodded as he leaned into Grayson’s shoulder.

“Lasey gained the sports talent. I gained all the artistic talents,” Ryan hummed.

“Yeah you did,” Devin snorted. “I may be able to keep up with you when we actually dance, but I could never keep up with that mind and creative flow of yours.”

“Hold up, _dancing_?” Grayson asked as he looked between Ryan and Devin with a skeptical expression.

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed primly with a smile.

“How are you able to _dance_? I watch you trip over your own damn feet on a daily basis,” Grayson deadpanned.

“Oh, dancing is the only time Ryan is graceful,” Devin told Grayson.

“I don’t believe you,” Grayson breathed out as he stared at them with narrowed eyes. Ryan and Devin both shrugged and then looked up as Riker approached them.

“Hey, Daddy,” Ryan chirped with a bright smile. Riker smiled and simply reached out to ruffle Ryan’s hair.

“You doing okay, munchkin?” Riker asked. Ryan nodded and scrunched up his nose happily at his father.

“I’m not the one living with Lasey again, so I’m doing better than you,” Ryan retorted easily.

“Hey!” Devin squawked at the same time Riker barked out a laugh and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“You make a valid point. She is extremely stubborn. That day you called she was trying to do her homework in the dining room. The beans didn’t quite understand,” Riker chuckled.

“I’m not surprised,” Ryan hummed as he leaned back into Grayson’s side. He felt Grayson relax slightly and he smiled over at Grayson, who gave him a small smile in return.

“I feel like I should be offended right now on Lasey’s behalf,” Devin grumbled.

“Oh, you know that she is ridiculous. Don’t even _try_ ,” Ryan laughed before he turned to look at Grayson, who looked confused. “Lasey is my older sister, by the way. She’s Devin’s soul mate.”

“Isn’t is weird that your best friend is your sister’s soul mate…?” Grayson immediately asked. Devin and Ryan exchanged a look then before they shrugged and looked back over at Grayson.

“Not really. I mean, I met Devin first, but we’ve never really had that much of an issue balancing everything,” Ryan said.

“Yeah. Like, we each have a place where we fit into each other’s lives and it’s easy for us. It doesn’t have to be weird,” Devin added with a small tilt of his head.

“Yeah, until someone walks in on you guys having sex,” Riker shot out as he looked down at Devin with a quirked eyebrow. Devin simply smiled innocently up at Riker and squished his cheeks together with his hands.

“It was all her fault, Daddio,” Devin added as Ryan snorted out a laugh next to him.

“Sad part is, I don’t even doubt it,” Riker sighed heavily. Ryan burst out laughing then while Devin smile smugly and Grayson stared between all of them in a mix of confusion and horror.

“I’m not sure how to react to this…” Grayson finally breathed out.

“With laughter, Gray, _laughter_. Otherwise you will vomit in your mouth and want to die at the imagery,” Ryan informed as he pat Grayson’s cheek affectionately. Grayson’s expression immediately softened and he rolled his eyes fondly as he smiled at Ryan.

“Do I need to remind you how many times we all caught you in compromising positions in high school?” Riker questioned as he looked down at his son with a raised eyebrow.

“The major difference there, Daddy, is that there was _no_ nudity or vigorous riding,” Ryan deadpanned in response. Grayson made a choking noise while Devin heaved out a sigh and Riker released a long breath.

“You’re in for a long trip with this one, kid,” Riker informed through a sigh as he looked down at Grayson, who immediately blushed and curled into Ryan slightly. Devin snorted and clapped a hand over his mouth while Ryan sent a glare in his father’s direction. Riker simply smirked back down at Ryan and quirked one eyebrow as his gaze darted down to where Grayson’s fingers were looped tightly through Ryan’s belt loop. Ryan gave Riker an exaggerated eye roll and then reached out to pat Grayson’s leg reassuringly.

“Dad’s being an asshole, don’t bother with it,” Ryan hummed.

“It’s my specialty. It’s how I keep up with your father,” Riker chirped easily with a wide, bright smile.

“Don’t I know it,” Ryan breathed while Devin cackled next to him. “Oh, shut up, Devin. Do I need to remind you the speech Papa gave you once you and Lase actually became official?”

“God no,” Devin gasped out. “I’m pretty sure I still have nightmares about him ripping my dick off.”

“ _What_?” Grayson squeaked as he looked over at Devin with wide, panicked eyes.

“Dude, calm down. I was a huge asshole in high school and slept around a lot. Lasey and I hadn’t figured our shit out and dated around a bit. I just dated around a bit more than she did,” Devin said with a small shrug.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Riker chuckled. “And don’t even _try_ and finish your statement, Devin. Jeffry and I only dated _one_ other person aside from each other.”

“Ah, got me,” Devin chuckled as he gave Riker an innocent smile. Riker smiled back and gave Devin one, definitive nod. Grayson just looked between them with a confused expression. Ryan smiled and bumped their shoulders together before he clapped a hand to Grayson’s leg.

“Don’t worry too much about the banter. You’ll get used to it the longer you’re around,” Ryan informed. Grayson smiled at Ryan and rolled his eyes.

“Big hopes there, Ry,” Grayson chirped as he smirked at Ryan, who snorted and pat Grayson’s face once more before he shoved himself up from the couch.

“I’m not too worried,” Ryan added before he walked off, Riker at his back. Riker chuckled as he followed his son and then easily pulled Ryan to his side.

“He’s a good one, baby boy,” Riker whispered into Ryan’s ear. Ryan smiled bashfully and nodded once as he looked down at his feet.

“I know,” Ryan breathed in response. Riker huffed out a small laugh and ruffled Ryan’s hair and kissed his forehead before he led them in the direction of the piano that was on set.

000000

“So, the soul mate is finally coming over today?” Hayden crooned a few weeks later as she skipped around Ryan as he walked through their apartment. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved lightly at Hayden, nearly causing her to trip over Hestia, who yelped and darted out of the way.

“Leave me alone,” Ryan grumbled while Devin snorted from his spot on the couch.

“And by that, he means _yes_ ,” Devin added. “Also, I’m pretty sure you know him already. He said he is one of your weird bio and art double major friends.”

“What? _Who_?” Hayden squawked as she looked between Ryan and Devin with wide eyes. “And how did you not tell me earlier?”

“Because you would act just like you are now,” Ryan replied easily as he picked up a pair of Devin’s boxers from the floor and tossed them in the direction of the hallway.

“Rude,” Hayden deadpanned. “But seriously, _who_?”

“Grayson,” Devin answered in a bored voice as he replied to a text on his phone. Hayden immediately stopped and looked over at Ryan with her jaw dropped.

“That explains _so much_ ,” Hayden breathed.

“What?” Ryan asked as he looked over at Hayden with furrowed brows.

“After I met you, I started to feel, like, more connected to Grayson…?” Hayden informed with slightly pursed lips. “I’m not sure if that makes sense. Like, I got along with him _before_ I met you, but then once I did, we got closer. It just felt more _right_ to be around him.”

“That’s weird,” Ryan commented.

“Is it, though?” Devin questioned as he looked over at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow. “The three of us have such a different connection than any others that I know. What makes you think we wouldn’t be in sync with each other’s soul mates as well? You just can’t tell as much with me because Lasey is your sister.”

“Exactly,” Hayden agreed as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly and nodded once. Ryan just shrugged his shoulders and then startled slightly as someone knocked on the door. Hayden and Devin both snorted and Ryan flipped them off over his shoulder as he walked over to the door.

“Hey, Gray,” Ryan chirped with a smile as he opened the door. Grayson smiled back, and then grunted as Hestia barreled into his legs in order to demand pets.

“ _Gray_?” Hayden cackled from within the apartment. Ryan just rolled his eyes and ushered Hestia away from Grayson so that Grayson could actually come into the apartment. “Since when do you allow anyone to call you _Gray_?”

“Wow, so lovely to see you, Hayden,” Grayson deadpanned in response as he kicked his shoes off. Hayden just laughed even more while Devin stifled his laughter behind his phone and Ryan rolled his eyes.

“What a terrible host, Hayds,” Ryan added.

“I am in no way the host. This is _your_ apartment. I just _live_ here,” Hayden giggled as she bat her eyelids at Ryan, who smiled and walked over to shove at her head lightly.

“And may I remind you that I let you live here for _free_?” Ryan questioned as he raised his eyebrows at her.

“It’s because you love me,” Hayden breathed out loftily with a smile. Ryan rolled his eyes and then collapsed onto the couch.

“Wait, you _own_ this apartment?” Grayson questioned as he sat down next to Ryan. Ryan hummed in ascent and lifted his arms so that Hestia could jump into his lap.

“Yeah. I bought it during winter break of freshman year so I could move off campus,” Ryan informed. “Starting to act at a young age had its perks.”

“Was there a reason for doing so?” Grayson asked.

“Yes,” Ryan replied shortly as he tensed up slightly, quickly followed by a feeling of anger coming from both Devin and Hayden. Grayson seemed to feel it as well and shivered slightly.

“I would say it is a touchy subject,” Grayson breathed. Ryan simply nodded and ran his fingers through the fur between Hestia’s shoulders as she licked at his arm.

“Level not unlocked. Do not pass go,” Devin breathed out. Ryan immediately snorted and tossed a pillow in Devin’s direction. Devin chuckled and caught the pillow easily before he blew an exaggerated kiss in Ryan’s direction. Hayden rolled her eyes as them and slid into one of the arm chairs while Grayson looked between Ryan and Devin.

“Is that some kind of inside joke?” Grayson questioned.

“In a way,” Ryan hummed. “When Dad and Addie were getting to know each other and hadn’t reached the point where they wanted to expose their tortured pasts, that’s what they would say.”

“Who’s Addie?” Grayson asked.

“She’s kind-of like my aunt. She is my Dad’s platonic soul mate,” Ryan answered with a small, fond smile. Devin hummed and nodded in agreement as he stretched his arms over his head.

“I can attest to the aunt thing. I’ve known her since I was three and she has coddled me ever since,” Devin chirped.

“I think there are other factors that go into that,” Hayden snorted as she reached over to slap at Devin’s leg. Devin shrugged and shoved back at Hayden with his foot.

“ _Anyway_ , do you know when Lowell is getting back today?” Ryan asked even as he and Grayson leaned together slightly. Hayden made a small noise and looked down at her watch.

“Should be soon, actually. I can’t wait to cuddle with him,” Hayden breathed out wistfully.

“Yeah, _cuddle_ ,” Devin cackled as he smirked in Hayden’s direction.

“We all know that the cuddling comes first and then the vigorous sex happens _after_ the jetlag wears off,” Hayden sniffed out primly.

“Mmh, not so sure on that,” Ryan chirped. “Last time you guys just jumped right into the sex.”

“God, I hate the two of you,” Hayden breathed out as she threw her head back dramatically.

“Don’t tell lies, Hayds,” Devin deadpanned as he looked down at his phone as he received a text and then smiled widely.

“I swear to god, if my sister just sent you a picture of her tits, you are leaving this room _right now_ ,” Ryan hissed out as he pointed accusingly over at Devin.

“Calm down, she didn’t send me a nude,” Devin chuckled as he tossed the pillow Ryan had thrown earlier back at Ryan. “I just told her something and she gave me quite the response back.”

“He lied, it’s a nude,” Hayden trilled as she sat up to peek over Devin’s shoulder and then smirked over at Ryan. Devin rolled his eyes and shoved at Hayden’s face while Grayson’s eyebrows shot up.

“There is no nudity in what Lasey just sent me, I promise,” Devin informed dryly.

“I’m more concerned by the fact that Hayden would look at your phone to confirm if it was a naked picture or not,” Grayson gasped.

“Oh, we’ve all seen each other naked. It’s just a thing that has happened,” Ryan informed nonchalantly with a wave of his hand. “Lasey really hates clothes and the rest of us don’t care anymore after the amount of times we have stripped while drunk.”

“Yep,” Hayden and Devin agreed.

“Hello, Castellan flats,” Lowell yawned as he slumped into the apartment and dropped his bag by the door. Hayden released a happy sound and shot up in order to dart over and hug Lowell tightly. He smiled and hugged her back as he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Welcome back, ya dang Brit,” Devin chuckled as he saluted Lowell, who smiled and rolled his eyes in response.

“How was your visit?” Ryan asked as he absentmindedly pet at Hestia’s ears.

“Rainy,” Lowell chuckled as he kicked off his shoes and then followed Hayden back over to the chair she had recently vacated. He seemed to notice Grayson as he sat down and he gave Grayson a shocked look. “I guess Hayds finally sucked you into the insanity.”

“Not really. I met Ryan and Devin on the set of the movie we are working on this summer. I didn’t realize they were her crazy roommates for a bit,” Grayson chuckled in response, even as Hayden giggled and whispered something in Lowell’s ear. Lowell’s eyebrows shot up then and he smiled over in Ryan’s direction.

“You’re the actual _worst_ , Hayden,” Ryan grumbled. Hayden smiled smugly and snuggled into Lowell’s side happily.

“You still love me,” she chirped.

“It’s questionable,” Ryan replied easily. Hayden shrugged and then turned to nuzzle into Lowell happily. Devin looked over at them, and then over at Ryan and Grayson before he made a face. “I know that look. You keep your comment to yourself, you heathen. Go call Lasey if you need to.”

“God, I hate how well you know me,” Devin chuckled as he jumped up in order to launch himself at Ryan, who grunted as his best friend collided with him. Grayson made an annoyed noise and Hestia grumbled as she nipped at Devin’s arm in annoyance.

“I mean, I have known you since we were three,” Ryan laughed as he adjusted positions in order to get comfortable again.

“Hm, point,” Devin hummed as he rubbed his cheeks along the top of Ryan’s head. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes, but otherwise did nothing to stop Devin’s actions. Grayson watched the pair with a skeptical look while Hayden and Lowell simply snorted out laughs.

“Your dads were puppies, you two are cats,” Hayden giggled.

“Okay, no. My dads took it to weird levels, even when they were toddlers,” Ryan informed as he pointed over at Hayden. “You don’t even _want_ to know jokes that were made on later in life about puppies licking each other.”

“Oh god, I really don’t,” Hayden commented with a visible shudder. Lowell huffed out a small laugh and hugged Hayden close to his chest.

“I’ll protect you, love,” Lowell told her.

“Aw, my knight in shining armor,” Hayden crooned. Devin fake gagged dramatically and Hayden flipped him off while Ryan chuckled.

“You’re no better when Lasey is around, asshole,” Ryan informed as he shoved Devin’s shoulder playfully. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes as he settled into the couch next to Ryan.

           

“Except she is the knight,” Devin said.

“True,” Ryan, Hayden, and Lowell all agreed, which pulled a snort from Grayson.

“Oh, laugh now, Hartwell, but Lasey Mariana Castellan is a _force_ to be reckoned with,” Devin informed.

“To put it _lightly_ ,” Lowell added with a small nod.

“Yep,” Ryan agreed as he pat Grayson’s leg reassuringly. “She gets it from both Papa and Martie. She was doomed to a large amount of sass and self assurance.”

“Sounds slightly terrifying,” Grayson breathed out.

“It can be. But if she likes you, she takes you under her wing,” Devin informed. “You do _not_ want to know some of the things I have heard her threaten people with over the years for Ryan.”

“Oh god,” Ryan breathed as he rubbed at his temples. “Oh! And look! Speak of the devil and she shall call!”

“Did you just call me a _devil_?” Lasey accused through the phone.

“Yes, and you’re on speaker,” Ryan informed.

“Wow. Worst little brother ever. Calling me a _devil_ ,” Lasey breathed out.

“Lase, you know you’re demonic on a good day,” Devin chuckled.

“Betrayed by my own love! How will I go on?” Lasey gasped dramatically. Ryan and Devin both smiled and rolled their eyes while Hayden and Lowell snorted. Grayson just quirked an eyebrow and gave Ryan a look.

“We told you she was a lot, Gray,” Ryan giggled as he reached out to pat Grayson’s face.

“You did,” Grayson agreed as his expression softened and he smiled at Ryan. Ryan smiled back and bumped his forehead into Grayson’s cheek briefly.

“Oo! Grayson is there?” Lasey squeaked out in excitement.

“Stand _down_ , Lasey,” Ryan growled out even as Grayson made a quiet, startled noise and attempted to worm his way behind Ryan as if Lasey was there physically.

“Chill out and talk about what you actually called for,” Devin said as he nudged Ryan and gave his friend a smirk.

“Yeah, we can interrogate _later_ ,” Jude’s voice laughed. “Anyway, are you guys free at all around the time of Daddy and Pops’ anniversary?”

“Weekend or week days?” Ryan asked in response.

“Either,” Lasey and Jude informed.

“We have a long weekend in two weeks,” Devin informed. “We don’t have set that weekend.”

“Why?” Ryan asked.

“We are trying to plan a get together at the lake house,” Lasey said. “It would just be us with Martie and Jay. Gramma and all the aunts and uncles are busy.”

“I mean, that’s kind of a blessing,” Ryan chuckled as Devin nodded in agreement next to him. “I don’t know if I could deal with Aunt Alyssa right now.”

“Point,” Jude giggled. “Also, Luca wants to know if he can visit.”

“God, yeah. Just let us know when so we can make sure the apartment is in good shape,” Ryan informed.

“Yeah, gotta clean up all the condoms, you know,” Devin cackled.

“ _Ew_ , Devin. I love you, but I am not participating in an orgy with you,” Hayden gagged.

“Aw, _babe_ ,” Lowell pouted before he snorted out a laugh.

“You all seriously _concern_ me,” Grayson informed.

“Only because you aren’t fully integrated yet, dude,” Devin informed with a laugh as he reached over to slap a hand to Grayson’s knee.

“Stop teasing him, god,” Ryan chuckled. “But yes, we can organize for the pup to come visit. Make sure Caron does _not_ invite herself this time. She nearly broke the railing up to the loft last time.”

“She doesn’t know a thing, don’t worry,” Lasey laughed. “Jay still likes to remind her of that any time she asks to go visit you out there.”

“Good. I paid for this place, I want to keep it intact,” Ryan said. “But other than that, text me with any details and we can work it out. I’m sure Daddy and Papa will probably want me to take the twins for a few days too.”

“Yeah, they were talking about that because around that time is when I am going out of town with Mitch for research stuff,” Lasey hummed.

“Eugh, please don’t remind me about that,” Jude complained. “I do _not_ want to think about our fathers having sex.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Lasey and Ryan laughed at the same time.

“Don’t tell me how to feel, demons,” Jude huffed out.

“Okay, I’m hanging up now. Lasey, chill your argument because Dev’s got his _I’m gonna call her_ face on,” Ryan informed loudly. Devin smiled at his best friend and then darted off towards his bedroom. Hayden and Lowell both rolled their eyes while Grayson simply scrunched up his nose.

“ _Fine_. You guys go do whatever you weirdoes do in that apartment,” Lasey breathed out.

“Bye!” Ryan chirped before he hung up.

“That was a tame phone call for both Lasey _and_ Jude being there,” Hayden giggled. Ryan nodded in agreement and then rubbed at his temples. Lowell chuckled and then ruffled Hayden’s hair fondly.

“Ready for jet lag nap time?” Lowell questioned.

“Mmh, _yes_ ,” Hayden hummed happily as she giggled and got up to follow Lowell to her bedroom.

“They’re just so endearing,” Grayson chuckled as they watched the pair go. Ryan hummed in agreement and then nudged Hestia out of his lap so he could get up.

“C’mon, let’s go to my room and watch a movie,” Ryan informed.

“Mkay,” Grayson replied as he got up and followed easily. “Also, that other person said _our fathers_. I thought Lasey was your only older sister.”

“Oh, Jude? She’s Addie’s daughter. Dad legally became her father once they graduated college…so when Jude was three, I believe. Dad and Addie are so close that Addie and Papa are oddly connected, so Papa is basically Jude’s dad too,” Ryan informed noncommittally.

“How old is she now?” Grayson asked.

“She’s twenty-nine,” Ryan chirped. “Luca, the one she was talking about, is her eleven year old son. She also has a three year old daughter.”

Grayson made an interested noise and Ryan just shrugged as he walked into his room and turned on the light. Hestia huffed out a quiet, happy bark and immediately jumped onto the bed in order to curl up. Ryan smiled at her and then looked back to see Grayson paused in the doorway with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

“What?” Ryan asked in confusion.

“It’s one thing to hear that most of your family is famous, but it’s another to _see_ the evidence that you know all of these people intimately,” Grayson breathed out as he looked around the room at all of the pictures.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I don’t think about that shock factor,” Ryan said with a shrug. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here aside from the other three who are already here and family.”

“What? Really?” Grayson asked as he snapped his shocked gaze over to Ryan, who shrugged and nodded in response.

“The less people who know what apartment I live in, the better,” he added as he dropped down onto his bed and ruffled Hestia’s ears.

“Because of media?” Grayson asked.

“Partially,” Ryan hummed. “Also because my ex already knows what _building_ I live in. I don’t need him knowing what _apartment_.”

“Ah,” Grayson breathed as he began to wander around the room to look at all the memorabilia Ryan had on the walls. Ryan watched Grayson closely, a small, fond smile on his face. Grayson came to a stop then and pointed to a medal Ryan had framed on the wall. “What did you win this competition with? I saw the whole show, except for the end. Shannon and Kaleb made me leave.”

“Oh, Dev and I won for our routine to [Slow Hands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5FzCz8NC58)20,” Ryan chirped as he sidled up to Grayson’s side to see which specific medal Grayson had pointed to. Grayson turned to Ryan then with a shocked expression and Ryan gave Grayson a questioning one in response.

“That was _you two_?” Grayson breathed out. Ryan smiled and nodded as he retreated back to his bed.

“Yeah. We purposely used face makeup and aliases so shit wasn’t biased,” Ryan informed. “It is probably my favorite thing I have ever choreographed.”

“ _You choreographed that_?” Grayson squawked.

“Yeah. I told you one of my majors was dance, man,” Ryan chuckled.

“Okay, but I never believed you could dance until _just now_ ,” Grayson hissed out. “That number was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I thought you guys were, like, soul mates or something.”

“I mean, we are,” Ryan snorted.

“What?” Grayson gasped out as he looked sharply over at Ryan, who snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Devin is one of my _platonic_ soul mates. I’ve known him since I was three. I don’t fully remember meeting him, I just know that I saw muted colors when I was around him,” Ryan informed. “Once I met Hayds, the muted colors were a constant.”

“So you have _two_ platonic soul mates, and they’re your roommates,” Grayson deadpanned.

“Yes,” Ryan chirped with a smile. Grayson huffed out a breath and then dropped onto the bed, only to splutter as Hestia began to lick at his face happily.

“Wait, so Devin is your sister’s _soul mate_ , as well as your platonic one?” Grayson suddenly gasped out.

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed.

“Isn’t that weird?” Grayson asked as he looked over at Ryan with furrowed brows once he pushed Hestia away. “Like, even more so than if you and Devin weren’t platonic soul mates.”

“Not really. We met Devin when we were all young, so the dynamic fell into place pretty easily,” Ryan said with a small shrug as he lay back next to Grayson. “I like to tease Lasey and say that Dev is more mine because I met him first, even though we all know it doesn’t work that way.”

“So, is your whole family just weirdly connected?” Grayson wondered.

“No. Daddy and Addie, and Kyler and Avalon are the only other people I know who have platonic soul mates aside from myself,” Ryan breathed out.

“And Kyler and Avalon are your twin baby siblings, yeah?” Grayson asked as he turned his head in order to look over at Ryan.

“Yep,” Ryan replied with a wide smile. Grayson smiled back and Ryan huffed out a small laugh before he reached out to pat Grayson’s cheek fondly. “Now, go pick out a movie. Enough talk.”

“Wow, _pushy_ ,” Grayson chuckled even as he got up and walked over to the shelves where Ryan kept his movies.

“Well, I’m ready to hunker down in some blankets and watch a movie,” Ryan replied easily as he shot another smile in Grayson’s direction. Grayson smiled back and then walked over to drop a movie onto Ryan’s chest. Ryan made an interested noise as he picked the movie up, and then smiled brightly up at Grayson. “Princess and the Frog. A true man after my own heart!”

Grayson blushed furiously at the comment, which went unnoticed by Ryan as he jumped up to put the DVD in while he giggled to himself. Ryan turned to Grayson after and giggled once more before he dragged them both back onto the bed with Hestia.

“This movie was my favorite when I was little. I would watch it every day as long as my dads or Jude let me,” Ryan informed as he pulled a blanket around himself and curled up.

“I didn’t watch it _that_ often, but it was also my favorite,” Grayson chuckled as he shifted in order to pull Ryan into his side. Ryan smiled happily and shifted the blanket so it was wrapped around both of them as they settled.

“I used to compare myself to Tiana and walk around proclaiming that I was a _strong woman who don’t need no man_ while Lasey followed behind me and echoed me,” Ryan laughed. “My dads like to inform me that’s how they knew I was gay.”

“That’s _adorable_ ,” Grayson chuckled as he cuddled Ryan closer to his side and bumped his nose into Ryan’s temple. Ryan simply hummed as he hit play on the DVD menu and then tossed the remote to the side.

“They even have video evidence of it,” Ryan chirped. “Devin made me and Lasey recreate it a freshman year of college.”

“I doubt it was as adorable then,” Grayson snorted.

“Nope,” Ryan agreed with a small shake of his head. Grayson just chuckled and ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan hummed happily and slid further down into the bed, easily pulling Grayson with him. Grayson hummed as well and fell into the new position easily as they cuddled into each other and then slowly fell asleep as they watched the movie.

000000

A couple months later found Ryan and Grayson on their way out to a photo shoot. Grayson was sitting in the passenger seat as he watched Ryan fondly while Ryan belted along to [Seeing Blind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFJDsjGBOao)21. Ryan smiled back over at Grayson and gave him an exaggerated wink.

“You have a weird obsession with this song, man,” Grayson chuckled as he shook his head slightly.

“You just don’t appreciate Niall Horan’s music for what it is,” Ryan replied before he launched back into singing. Grayson snorted out a laugh and rolled his eyes in fond exasperation.

“I hear you sing this song at least once a day, I think I appreciate it enough to not slap a hand over your damn mouth,” Grayson informed. Ryan just rolled his eyes at Grayson as he continued to sing and then began to gesture wildly at Grayson with one of his hands. Grayson barked out a short laugh and slapped playfully at Ryan’s hand.

“No distracting the driver, mister!” Ryan squawked through a small laugh.

“Well then don’t be shoving your hand in my face, _mister_ ,” Grayson drawled back as he made a face at Ryan.

“Whatever, loser,” Ryan chuckled as he quickly poked at Grayson’s side before placing his hand back on the wheel. Grayson squeaked slightly and then reached over to flick Ryan’s ear in retaliation. “I said no distracting the driver!”

“You’re a pain in the ass all the time when I’m driving. Take what you get, asshole,” Grayson informed through a laugh. Ryan just smiled innocently in Grayson’s direction and then groaned as [Nobody’s Perfect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DQla5j26Qc) began to blare from his phone. “Do you need me to pick that up for you?”

“No. It’s Lasey. If it’s important, she will leave a message,” Ryan replied with a small shrug. Grayson shrugged as well, but otherwise ignored the song blaring through the car.

“Why is that her ringtone, anyway?” Grayson asked. Ryan snorted and smiled to himself.

“Lasey is studying to become a therapist and she likes to go on mantras about how there’s nothing wrong with you and you’re perfect the way you are, even with all your imperfections,” Ryan told Grayson with a small shrug. “That and the ringtone really annoys her. She constantly tries to change it with no success.”

“Sounds like a typical sibling interaction,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan hummed and nodded once.

“Do your siblings have any weird quirks like that?” Ryan asked as he glanced over at Grayson, who shrugged.

“Charlie is kind-of one _giant_ quirk. Preston and Colby just kind of exist, but maybe that’s just because they’re not as obnoxious as Char,” Grayson informed with a small smile.

“I mean, everyone has quirks, but I get what you mean by one person’s overshadowing others’. That’s kinda how Lasey is,” Ryan giggled. “So, based on that, let’s pray to whatever being out there that our older sisters never meet.”

“Agreed,” Grayson said with one, definitive nod.

“Alrighty, ready for your first photo shoot?” Ryan giggled as he pulled into a parking spot at the warehouse and looked over at Grayson with a wide smile. Grayson simply shrugged as he took in the building before them with wary eyes. Ryan gave Grayson a reassuring smile and clapped a hand to Grayson’s knee. “It’s gonna be fine. Lydia said it is a small one. She and Josh are both here, so at least there are _some_ familiar people.”

“Wow, you’re so good at this,” Grayson deadpanned as they got out of the car. Ryan shrugged in response and then led Grayson towards the warehouse.

“You’ll make it through, I promise,” Ryan added as he skipped forward, Grayson trudging along behind him.

“About time you got here, kid,” Josh chuckled as he passed by and ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan rolled his eyes and swat at Josh’s hand. Grayson snorted out a laugh and nudged Ryan’s side.

“You two behave,” Lydia breathed out heavily as she approached them. “Grayson, you’re up first. Go over to Hanna.”

“Oh, okay,” Grayson squeaked out. Ryan just smiled reassuringly at Grayson and nudged the man forward. Grayson shot Ryan one last glance and then rolled his shoulders as he walked forward.

“And you, answer your sister’s call,” Lydia deadpanned as Ryan’s phone started to go off again. Ryan rolled his eyes, but obeyed easily as he pulled his blaring phone out of his pocket.

“Lasey,” Ryan answered.

“Ry,” Lasey breathed out quickly. “Where are you?”

“A photo shoot,” Ryan answered as his brow furrowed. Lasey swore under her breath and Ryan glanced around quickly before he darted off to the side of the studio where it was quieter. “What happened?”

“I don’t really know. Papa won’t tell me,” Lasey whispered. “I just know we got home earlier and found Daddy locked in their bathroom.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Ryan hissed out as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Ryan heard Lasey talk quietly with Avalon and he took a steadying breath.

“Is this photo shoot supposed to be long?” Lasey asked.

“All day,” Ryan replied as he curled in on himself slightly, back towards the rest of the people in the warehouse. Lasey swore again. “I can try and talk with Lydia to get it cut short.”

“You don’t have to. Daddy would understand,” Lasey informed.

“I know, but we both know I would much rather be there than here,” Ryan replied. Lasey hummed.

“Don’t rush anything, okay?” Lasey asked. “Of course we want you here, but we don’t need you being reckless and getting hurt.”

“I’ll be safe, I promise,” Ryan reassured. Lasey hummed down the line and said something quietly to Avalon again. “I will be home when I can.”

“I love you,” Lasey said.

“I love you too,” Ryan answered before they hung up and someone came to usher Ryan over to a set. Ryan took a steadying breath and attempted to compose himself as they started to direct him to stand in different positions.

Ryan caught Grayson’s eyes, and Grayson gave Ryan a concerned look. Ryan attempted to give Grayson a reassuring smile in return, which only caused Grayson’s concerned frown to deepen.

“Wait!” Grayson suddenly barked out, effectively making everyone in the room pause and look at him. He paid them no attention, though, his focus completely on Ryan as he strode over to Ryan and took Ryan’s face into his hands.

“Grayson,” Ryan whispered quietly.

“What’s wrong?” Grayson asked, eyes searching Ryan’s face intently. Ryan just closed his eyes and shook his head minutely. Lydia appeared behind Grayson then, Josh following soon after.

“Ryan, what’s happening?” Lydia asked. Ryan just looked up at her and a look of understanding washed across her face, as well as Josh’s. Lydia immediately turned her gaze to Grayson and pointed at him seriously. “You get him home safely. I will plug the address into your phone GPS so you can drive right there.”

“Wait, what?” Grayson asked in a confused daze as Lydia snatched his phone out of his back pocket and began to tap along the screen furiously.

“You heard her. You need to get Ryan home, _safely_ ,” Josh informed. “And by that, we mean his parent’s house. Their house is closer to here than your campus, so it should be okay.”

“Okay, but then what?” Grayson questioned as he numbly accepted his phone back from Lydia.

“I’ll work it out. C’mon,” Ryan breathed out as he latched onto Grayson’s hand and pulled Grayson towards his car.

“Keep us updated!” Lydia called out after Ryan.

“Keys,” Grayson demanded as they got to Ryan’s car. Ryan handed over to keys easily and then climbed into the passenger seat and curled up. Grayson climbed into the driver’s seat and plugged his phone in before he started the car and then reached out to latch onto one of Ryan’s hands. Ryan squeezed Grayson’s hand gratefully and then took a deep breath before he pulled out his phone to text Lasey that he was on his way.

 _Wait, what? Did Lydia end the shoot? Who is driving? You better not be driving!_ Lasey immediately sent. Ryan simply snapped a picture of Grayson driving to send back to Lasey. Grayson glanced over at Ryan briefly, but then turned his attention back to the road, even as he squeezed Ryan’s hand. Ryan squeezed back and then pulled up Jude’s contact in order to call her.

“Ry? Are you on your way home? Lasey said she talked to you,” Jude breathed out in a rush.

“Yes. I’m on my way home,” Ryan assured her. Jude released a long breath, and Ryan could almost see her shoulders going slack. “I have a favor to ask you, though.”

“What?” Jude asked, worry leaking into her voice.

“Nothing bad, I promise,” Ryan told her. “I was just wondering if Grayson could stay at your place tonight. I would let him sleep at ours, but we both know that’s probably not the best idea.”

“Oh. Oh yeah, definitely,” Jude breathed out. “I’m on my way over now, so I can bring Grayson back to mine once you guys get here.”

“Thank you, so much,” Ryan huffed out.

“No problem, munchkin,” Jude replied. “I love you, and I will see you when you get here.”

“Love you too, and thank you again,” Ryan said. Jude simply hummed in response before they both hung up.

“Everything okay?” Grayson asked quietly. Ryan nodded once and released a long breath.

“You’ll be spending the night at Jude and Leon’s,” Ryan told Grayson as he looked over at the other man. Grayson nodded once and rubbed his thumb over Ryan’s hand. “You’ve already met Luca, so you should be okay. Spencer is only three and loves most people.”

“Good to know,” Grayson huffed out with a small smile. Ryan hummed and nodded once and shifted in his seat so he could lean into the middle console and be closer to Grayson. Grayson hummed quietly and tipped his head against Ryan’s briefly.

“It’s the house with the blue car at the end of the drive,” Ryan informed fifteen minutes later as they approached the house. Grayson nodded once and easily pulled up behind Jude’s car. Ryan released a long breath and pressed his forehead to Grayson’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem, Ry,” Grayson whispered back as he pressed his lips to the top of Ryan’s head. Ryan hummed once more and then pulled away from Grayson slowly. Grayson followed Ryan out of the car and Ryan latched onto Grayson’s hand as they walked up the driveway.

“Ryan!” Avalon squeaked as she threw open the door and ran at her older brother. Ryan smiled sadly and easily caught the three year old and kissed her temple.

“Hello, Avie,” Ryan said. Avalon just made a small noise and buried her face in Ryan’s neck before she peeked up to wave at Grayson. Grayson smiled sweetly and waved back before he leaned forward to kiss her forehead22. She snuffled happily into Ryan’s neck and buried her face again.

“I’m glad you made it safely,” Jude breathed as she pulled them into the house. “And thank you for getting him home safely.”

“It’s not a problem,” Grayson replied awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Ryan smiled over at Grayson and reached out to run a hand down Grayson’s arm.

“I’ll go get you a pair of my old sweats that should fit you,” Ryan informed. Grayson nodded once and squeezed Ryan’s hand once before Ryan headed towards the stairs.

“Ry!” Kyler squeaked as he poked his head out Riker and Jeff’s room, quickly followed by Samoa, who chirruped in greeting.

“Sh, buddy,” Ryan whispered. “I think Daddy’s sleeping.”

“Yah,” Kyler breathed as he shuffled back into the room and crawled onto the bed and into Lasey’s lap. Lasey gave Ryan a tight lipped smile as she easily accepted Kyler into her lap and Ryan smiled back.

“Hey, baby boy,” Jeff whispered from his spot on the bed where Riker was curled into him and sleeping heavily.

“Hey, Papa,” Ryan replied as he carefully lowered Avalon onto the bed and then leaned over to kiss the top of Jeff’s head. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to get some sweats for Grayson.”

“Grayson?” Jeff immediately asked, perking up slightly.

“ _Not_ the time, Papa,” Lasey hissed out as she reached over to slap Jeff’s shoulder. Jeff slumped down and nodded in agreement.

“I know, I know. Just got excited,” Jeff whispered. Ryan rolled his eyes and then waved a flippant hand over his shoulder before he headed towards his room to grab sweat clothes.

“Sorry to shove you off, Gray,” Ryan huffed out as he walked back into the foyer. Grayson rolled his eyes and pulled Ryan into a tight hug. Ryan released a long sigh and easily fell into the embrace, hands tightly gripping the back of Grayson’s shirt.

“It’s _fine_. You obviously need to be with your family. I understand, okay?” Grayson asked as he latched onto Ryan’s face and looked at him seriously. Ryan inspected Grayson’s face and then nodded once before he buried his face in Grayson’s chest briefly, refusing to look over at Jude, who was watching the pair with eyes full of excitement.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ryan whispered out. Grayson hummed in agreement and kissed Ryan’s forehead quickly.

“You take care of Daddy,” Jude said as she pulled Ryan into a quick hug and ruffled his hair. “I love you.”

“I love you too, and thank you again,” Ryan told her. Jude just shrugged and leaned forward to press a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“You’ve got yourself a good one, I can tell,” she whispered quickly before she darted away and led Grayson out of the house. Ryan watched them go and released a long breath before he went upstairs and kicked off his shoes to join his parents and siblings on the bed where they were all cuddled together.

000000

“So, Jude texted me saying that your boy has completely _enchanted_ both Spencer _and_ Leon,” Lasey giggled the next morning as she breezed into the kitchen and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Ryan rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his older sister.

“You guys are not allowed to interrogate and intimidate Grayson when he gets here,” Ryan deadpanned. Jeff and Lasey both made small, stubborn noises while Riker and Ryan gave them serious looks. “Like, honestly. You would be meeting him for the first time, don’t be butts.”

“Grayson very nice,” Kyler suddenly chirped from where he was sitting next to Avalon as they shared a bowl of yogurt.

“Yah. He look at Ry like Papa look at Daddy,” Avalon added offhandedly as she snatched the spoon from Kyler.

“Oh, _does he_?” Jeff asked as he looked over at his son and smiled with one eyebrow raised. Ryan simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

“I will entertain _none_ of this,” Ryan grumbled out.

“What a party pooper,” Lasey hummed out as she ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“God, I hate you all,” Ryan hissed.

“Don’t tell lies, Ryan Arthur, it’s not flattering,” Jude sang as she breezed into the kitchen and walked over to kiss Riker’s cheek.

“Arthur?” Grayson’s voice snorted. Ryan turned quickly to send a glare in Grayson’s direction, and Grayson simply continued to chuckle as he shrugged.

“Don’t make fun of my middle name, butthole,” Ryan ground out. Grayson just shrugged and gave Ryan a small smirk.

“Ry, can I trade you in for Grayson?” Luca asked as he skipped into the kitchen with Spencer on his back. “He’s better at videogames then you.”

“Well, that’s _rude_ ,” Ryan informed as he got up and flung Luca over his shoulder after placing Spencer in Riker’s lap. Luca squawked out a laugh and latched onto Ryan’s shirt tightly.

“Ryan, no!” Luca squealed.

“Ryan, yes!” Ryan cackled out as he walked over to dropped Luca onto the couch as Luca laughed hysterically. Kyler, Avalon, and Spencer all bugled happily and immediately ran over to topple on top of Luca, who laughed even more while Ryan smiled smugly.

“I worry about your dynamic sometimes,” Grayson breathed as he walked up behind Ryan. Ryan simply hummed and leaned back into Grayson’s chest briefly before he pat Grayson’s abdomen.

“Your worry will only lead to confusion, Gray,” Ryan added as he turned to give Grayson a wide smile. Grayson just smiled back and then folded Ryan into a tight hug, face buried in the crook of Ryan’s neck.

“I’m glad you’re happier today,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan’s smile softened and he tipped his head against Grayson’s.

“You’re a sap,” Ryan whispered. Grayson huffed out a breath and then lifted his head in order to roll his eyes. Ryan smiled brightly and then flicked his tongue out against Grayson’s cheek. Grayson spluttered and wiped at his cheek while all the kids on the couch laughed manically.

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson informed as he pulled Ryan back to his chest and bit at Ryan’s cheek while Ryan giggled.

“He gets it from Daddy,” Jude informed offhandedly as she walked into the living room and snatched Spencer up off of her older brother.

“What now?” Riker asked as he poked his head out of the kitchen.

“Ryan gets his ridiculousness from you,” Jude chirped.

“Oh, yeah he does,” Jeff giggled as he wrapped his arms around Riker’s neck and kissed Riker’s cheeks roughly. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes fondly at his husband.

“You’re no peach either, babe,” Riker informed. Jeff just rolled his eyes and then retreated back into the kitchen.

“See where that comment gets you, _babe_ ,” Jeff added. Ryan heard Lasey snort with amusement and he rolled his eyes.

“Well, we need to head out. Hayds texted me about needing help with a project,” Ryan informed as he walked into the kitchen to kiss his dads’ cheeks. They both hummed and kissed him back before ruffling his hair.

“Drive safe,” Riker informed as he hugged his son.

“Will do. I will let you know when we get back to the apartment,” Ryan said.

“Good boy,” Jeff chirped as he smiled and pat Ryan’s cheek fondly. Ryan just rolled his eyes and then waved as he walked back towards Grayson.

“You good to drive today?” Grayson asked. Ryan nodded once and accepted his keys from Grayson as they waved goodbye to Luca, Kyler, and Avalon, who were still piled on the couch.

“C’mon, time to head home,” Ryan breathed out once they got into the car. Grayson just smiled and nodded once before he pulled one of Ryan’s hands into his own. Ryan smiled to himself and simply squeezed Grayson’s hand before he started his car and drove off.

000000

“God, this piano needs to be _trashed_ ,” Ryan informed from where he was sitting at the piano in the theater and tapping out a few notes. Alessandra snorted next to him and bumped their shoulders together.

“I’m working on it, Ryan,” Shanna breathed out as she walked by and waved a flippant hand in his direction.

“Ask my dad,” Ryan chirped with a bright smile. Shanna rolled her eyes and gave Ryan a deadpan expression. “I would just buy one, but you would beat my ass.”

“Yes, I would,” Shanna replied as she waggled a finger in Ryan’s direction. Ryan smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulder before he got up to try and tune the piano slightly as Shanna walked away while shaking her head. Alessandra watched him quietly and studied him.

“You seem different,” Alessandra commented.

“How so?” Ryan asked as he glanced over at his friend.

“Happier,” she replied with a small shrug. “Like, you’re a pretty chipper person, but this is a different kind of happy.”

“Oh, and there’s a specific reason for that,” Devin sang as he skipped across the stage, earning himself a glare from his best friend. Alessandra perked up and she looked over at Ryan with interest.

“ _Oo_! Did you meet someone this summer?” she squeaked happily. Ryan rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his enthusiastic friend in favor of tuning the piano. “I’m going to take that as a _yes_.”

“As you should,” Devin chuckled as he appeared once more and dropped onto the piano bench next to Alessandra. “And you can’t tell me you can’t figure out who it is. I know you see the news and such.”

“Oh! The costar?” Alessandra asked. Devin hummed and nodded once while Ryan huffed out a sigh.

“I know where you sleep, Dev,” Ryan added in a monotone voice. Devin simply shrugged and quirked an eyebrow at Ryan in challenge.

“Same goes to you. And I also know who has also been in that bed a lot recently,” Devin commented.

“This conversation sounds _juicy_ ,” Matt chuckled as he sauntered up and leaned against the piano.

“This guy has been sleeping with you!” Alessandra squawked as she looked over at Ryan with wide eyes.

“Actually _sleeping_ , Al. Like, passing out while watching movies,” Ryan told her.

“That is less juicy,” Matt chuckled. “But still a development in the world of Ryan Castellan.”

“Oh, shut up,” Ryan hissed out as he pulled a candy wrapper out of the piano and flicked it at Matt, who chuckled and dodged the wrapper easily.

“So, tell me about him,” Alessandra giggled as she looked between Ryan and Devin. “I want to know _everything_.”

“Too bad,” Ryan replied easily while Devin snorted.

“I’m sure you will meet him soon enough. He attends this school,” Devin informed with a smug smile.

“He does?” Alessandra squawked as she looked at Devin with wide eyes. Devin nodded while Ryan heaved out a sigh and returned his attention to the piano.

“Yeah. He knows Josiah and Hayden, because they’re all weird art and bio double majors,” Devin chirped.

“He’s the duck penis guy23,” Ryan suddenly informed.

“ _What_?” Alessandra cackled as she looked over at Ryan, who smirked to himself.

“ _Excuse_? How do you know this?” Devin questioned. Ryan’s smirk widened and he looked over at his best friend.

“He accidentally let a duck fact out the other night and I figured it out. I’ve never seen his face go so red. He hid in Hestia’s side for a good ten minutes,” Ryan said. Devin snorted out a laugh and shook his head. “I mean, he also wanted to kill Hayds for telling us the story, but, _c’mon_ , you can’t blame her.”

“I still remember her manic glee as she informed us about it,” Devin breathed out fondly. Ryan smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I can’t believe you know the duck penis guy,” Alessandra sighed as Matt snorted next to her.

“I swear to god, _how many people did Hayden tell_?” Grayson’s voice suddenly asked. Ryan immediately straightened up and he turned to smile widely at Grayson, who looked exasperated.

“You should know Hayds better by now, Gray,” Ryan crooned. Grayson gave Ryan a deadpan expression before he broke into a smile and pulled Ryan into a tight hug while Ryan giggled.

“You’re a menace,” Grayson informed into Ryan’s hair. Ryan just continued to giggle and poked at Grayson’s sides, causing Grayson to squawk and push at Ryan. Devin watched with a fond expression and rolled his eyes. Matt simply watched with a small smile and raised eyebrows while Alessandra watched carefully with a small smirk.

“Anyway, Gray these are Alessandra and Matt. Guys, this is Grayson. Be nice,” Ryan introduced as he waved a hand between them.

“Grayson is very innocent, you see…” Devin started. Grayson growled quietly and launched himself at Devin, who cackled and fell to the ground easily.

“Just because I’m not some weirdo like you guys,” Grayson hissed out as he got up and pulled Devin onto his shoulder.

“Ah! Release me Muscles McGee!” Devin squawked.

“There’s a couch behind the wings,” Ryan informed in a bored voice as he turned his attention back to the piano.

“Thank you, Mr. Castellan,” Grayson breathed out with a small bow before he carried Devin off.

“Soooo, that’s your soul mate?” Alessandra suddenly asked once they heard Devin squawk out indignantly while Grayson bugled triumphantly. Ryan looked over at Alessandra with a shocked expression to see her smiling smugly. “ _Please_ , Ry. You both practically lit up the second you touched. I’ve never seen you so relaxed and happy, and I’ve seen you post-sex.”

“You saw me post-sex with _Eric_ ,” Ryan countered.

“Whoa, whoa. What are you saying to my boy out there?” Devin exclaimed. “The tension that just pulsed through was intense! And god, Grayson, release me, you’re gonna leave bruises on my arms.”

“Sorry,” Grayson breathed before he and Devin reappeared from the wings, both of them looking in Ryan’s direction with concern.

“I’m fine,” Ryan reassured as he reached out to run a hand down Grayson’s back and then to ruffle Devin’s hair. “Just some bad memories.”

“Mkay,” Devin breathed out as he inspected Ryan’s face and then looked over at Grayson to clap him on the shoulder. “It takes some getting used to when it comes to Ryan. It comes with time.”

“Oh, _shush_ ,” Ryan huffed in annoyance as he rolled his eyes and reached out to push playfully at Devin’s shoulder.

“Just informing the man,” Devin replied with a small laugh as he dodged away from Ryan. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes then, shoulders seeming to relax. Matt and Alessandra watched the interaction with small smiles and Alessandra rolled her eyes.

“I’m glad my suspicion is true,” she added as she flicked her short hair. “It’s about time.”

“You’re terrible and I hate you,” Ryan told her easily. “Now, c’mon, Gray. I wanna teach you some choreography now that you’re here.”

“I never agreed to this!” Grayson protested even as Ryan dragged him over towards the empty side of the stage.

“You’re the one who showed up in gym clothes and I’ve told you many times that I am determined to show you how to dance,” Ryan replied easily.

“Ryan, I wear gym clothes, like, every day,” Grayson huffed out.

“I know,” Ryan replied with a quirked eyebrow as he gave Grayson a once over. Grayson flushed under the attention, and Devin snorted behind them while Ryan smiled and turned on the music before pulling Grayson close.

“Ooo! I love this song!” Alessandra squealed. “Dev, dance with me!”

“Wow, I see what I mean to you,” Matt chuckled.

“Devin is a better dancer and you know it,” Alessandra giggled. Ryan just smiled at his friends’ antics, but then turned his attention to Grayson.

“Just follow me,” Ryan breathed out as he gave Grayson a reassuring smile. Grayson simply smiled back and nodded once before he allowed Ryan to pull him along easily.

000000

“Do we know when we actually get to start everything for the musical?” Alessandra asked at the end of the first week of school as she sprawled out on the stage. Ryan looked down at her from the piano bench and shrugged his shoulders.

“Beats me. You would have to ask Shanna,” Ryan added. Josiah and Matt both made noises in agreement while Marna made a stubborn noise.

“But Shanna isn’t _here_ ,” Marna complained.

“And contrary to popular belief, I do _not_ run the theater,” Ryan chuckled as he smiled over at Marna, who smiled back and rolled her eyes.

“You might as well sometimes,” Josiah yawned as he dropped down onto the floor with Alessandra, who made a noise in agreement.

“You said your new man is an art major. He could help us,” Alessandra added.

“He’s not _my man_ ,” Ryan sighed heavily as Marna and Josiah made noises in interest.

“I don’t know, man. He had major heart eyes for you,” Matt commented as he shrugged slightly.

“I’m just excited at the prospect of seeing Ryan with someone,” Josiah cackled.

“I mean, you know him, so there’s that,” Ryan informed with a shrug. Josiah shot up and looked at Ryan seriously then.

“Who is it?” Josiah asked.

“Grayson,” Ryan chirped out easily as he tapped out a couple of notes on the piano. Josiah’s eyebrows immediately knit together in thought before he shrugged.

“Makes sense,” Josiah finally commented. “Now I understand why he and Hayden have always been, like, connected at the hip.”

“What? How do you figure that?” Matt questioned as he looked between Josiah and Ryan with confusion.

“Dude, Hayden is one of my platonic soul mates,” Ryan snorted as he reached out to slap at Matt’s arm.

“So?” Matt asked.

“Matt. Honey. Remember what I said to Ryan the other day after we met Grayson?” Alessandra asked as she looked over at their friend with a quirked eyebrow. Matt nodded once before a look of comprehension crossed his face.

“Ah, yeah. Okay. I get it,” Matt breathed out. Ryan and Alessandra both smiled and shook their heads.

“So, any plans for the first weekend back at school?” Marna asked lazily.

“Get drunk,” Alessandra and Josiah replied immediately. Matt simply shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly while Ryan smiled to himself.

“I’m chilling at Castellan flats and we are ordering in a lot of food and watching Disney movies,” Ryan informed happily.

“God, you guys are so _lame_ ,” Marna breathed as she dropped down onto the piano bench next to Ryan. “Like, you guys never go out and party.”

“I prefer to not do that. Plus, none of us are gonna go out to find a hook up, for more than one reason,” Ryan chirped.

“Well, you all have found your soul mates, so why would you,” Alessandra breathed. Josiah and Marna looked over at Ryan with excited looks while Ryan glared down at Alessandra, who shrugged. “C’mon, dude. You know it. He knows it. Everyone will know it soon enough.”

“Will they?” Ryan asked in response. “ _We_ haven’t even talked about it.”

“ _What_?” Alessandra squawked as she sat up quickly and reached out to slap Ryan’s arm. “You’ve known each other since, like, _May_!”

“So?” Ryan asked as he stubbornly turned back to the piano keys.

“So? So! Shouldn’t that be, like, an _immediate_ conversation?” Alessandra asked.

“I mean, I fled and hid in a closet, so no,” Ryan said in a small voice. Alessandra made a disgusted noise while the other three snorted with laughter.

“That’s just ridiculous. You’re both idiots,” Alessandra informed in a deadpan voice. “Like, sure, that was your weird, _immediate_ response, but you’ve had _months_.”

“It just hasn’t been the time,” Ryan replied with a shrug.

“Because you’re weird,” Marna giggled as she bumped their shoulders together. Ryan just shrugged and dropped his hands from the piano keys.

“Like, I can’t believe this. Sure, from our conversation earlier in the week, I gathered y’all weren’t fucking or anything yet, but I figured _something_ would have happened,” Alessandra breathed.

“Aw, you have such high hopes for our famous boy,” Matt crooned as he bat his eyes at Alessandra, who smiled and swat at Matt’s legs.

“Plus, I know Grayson. He’s super shy, so I can’t even imagine how he’s taken to dealing with everything that is Ryan _and_ Devin,” Josiah chuckled.

“Well enough,” Ryan informed with a small shrug. “I mean, it took me a good month before I even invited him to our place, so…”

“Okay, but he’s been at your place. He’s been in your bed. _All summer_ ,” Alessandra pointed out. “None of us have ever been there, and Matt, Josiah, and I have known you for _three years_.”

“Yeah, what the fuck, man,” Josiah complained.

“I have my reasons,” Ryan grumbled stubbornly.

“Yeah, he does,” Matt reinforced as he gave Ryan a small, reassuring smile. Ryan smiled back gratefully and returned his attention back to the piano as Marna pressed herself to his side lightly.

“I swear, I keep finding you all tense when I come here. Isn’t this supposed to be your home away from home?” Grayson chuckled as he popped up from behind one of the wings. Ryan immediately smiled and rolled his eyes.

“It’s because my friends are assholes,” Ryan replied easily.

“I mean, I can speak for Josiah, but not the others,” Grayson chuckled as he walked over and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Hey!” Josiah squawked indignantly while Alessandra cackled manically and tackled Josiah to the stage. Grayson just smiled and rolled his eyes before he held his hand out to Ryan.

“I think Devin and Hayden have already called for food, if I’m being honest. I got a text from Lowell that just consisted of the pregnant lady emoji,” Grayson informed. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“I’m not even surprised,” Ryan breathed out as he shook his head slightly.

“Well, enjoy your disgusting amounts of food and lame movies,” Matt yawned out as he dropped into Ryan’s vacated spot on the piano bench next to Marna.

“Enjoy your lives of delinquency and sex,” Ryan chirped easily.

“Ha! Hark who is talking about being a delinquent about sex!” Alessandra barked out. Ryan just turned to smirk at her over his shoulder.

“I was in a relationship when all those things happened. No delinquency about it,” Ryan hummed primly. Alessandra just smiled and rolled her eyes while Josiah snorted and shook his head.

“You’ve got your work cut out for you, Grayson,” Josiah informed.

“Oh, I know,” Grayson breathed out even as he smiled fondly at Ryan, who smiled back and bumped their shoulders together before they left the theater.

“So, what is your movie vote?” Ryan asked. “As owner of the apartment, I get veto rights.”

“You’re terrible and biased,” Grayson informed. Ryan simply smiled innocently and scrunched up his nose.

“I know,” Ryan added before he froze as he saw a figure approaching them. He felt Grayson shiver as Ryan’s feeling of panic hit him and he looked down at Ryan with worry.

“Ryan…” Grayson started, but cut off as Ryan latched onto his arm tightly.

“Back towards the theater, please,” Ryan breathed out quietly as he began to tug Grayson along. Grayson went willingly, stumbling slightly as his body adjusted to Ryan’s panic and his own urge to protect.

“Do we need to go back inside?” Grayson asked. Ryan shook his head and continued to lead Grayson forward, taking the long way back to his car. “Do you need me to call Devin or Hayden?”

“No, just stay with me,” Ryan huffed out as he pulled Grayson around a corner, only to come to an abrupt stop. A man stood before them, a wide smile on his face.

“Hello, Ryan,” the man practically purred.

“Leave me alone,” Ryan said forcefully, eyes going hard.

“I just want to talk,” the man replied.

“And I want you out of my way, Eric,” Ryan hissed out as his grip tightened on Grayson’s arm. Grayson looked between the pair as realization dawned on him, and then he turned a hard gaze on Eric.

“Is this your new boyfriend?” Eric asked sweetly as he inspected Grayson, who simply narrowed his eyes at Eric and tightened his own grip on Ryan.

“That’s none of your business,” Ryan insisted as he glared at the man before him.

“It was a simple question,” Eric snapped, eyes narrowing.

“One you don’t deserve the answer to,” Ryan replied stubbornly. “And I swear, if you don’t leave me alone, I will get a restraining order.”

“Based on what?” Eric asked with a challenging eyebrow.

“You know what,” Ryan replied in a rush, body trembling slightly.

“You’re such a little bitch,” Eric spit out then as he stepped forward with clenching fists. Ryan made a small noise and stumbled back into Grayson as he tried to curl in on himself. Grayson caught Ryan easily and then glared over at Eric.

“You’re a piece of shit,” Grayson hissed out before he latched onto Ryan and then shoved Eric out of the way to lead Ryan towards his car. Ryan released a small noise and began to shake slightly in Grayson’s grip. Grayson held even tighter onto Ryan and worked Ryan’s keys out of his pocket. Once they got to Ryan’s car, Grayson carefully maneuvered Ryan into the passenger seat before he climbed into the driver’s seat.

Once they got back to the apartment building, Grayson carefully removed his clenched fingers from the steering wheel and got out in order to help Ryan. Ryan collapsed easily into Grayson’s grip and kept his head down as they made their way up to the apartment.

“What happened?” a panicked Devin asked as soon as they walked through the door. He was immediately on Ryan, hands on Ryan’s cheeks. Ryan released a shaky breath and collapsed into Devin’s chest as he began to gasp out sobs. Grayson kicked the door shut and shook out his limbs, trying to settle himself even as Ryan’s emotions washed over him. Hayden appeared as well and ran a worried hand over Ryan’s hair.

“Ry, talk to us, please,” Hayden breathed out as Lowell observed carefully from the living room, posture tense. Ryan just shook his head into Devin’s chest while Grayson shook quietly behind them. Devin seemed to take notice of Grayson then and carefully handed Ryan off to Hayden.

“Hayds, you and Lowell take Ryan to his room with Hestia,” Devin told them as he reached out to grab onto Grayson’s wrist. Grayson’s gaze snapped to Devin then, eyes clearly showing his panic. Devin nodded once and started to lead Grayson towards his room.

“D-Devin,” Ryan gasped.

“Go with Hayds. Grayson and I will be there in a minute,” Devin assured in a soothing tone. Ryan nodded once and then allowed Hayden to carefully lead him towards his room, where he immediately collapsed onto his bed with her, Lowell, and Hestia. Hestia whimpered and curled her way into Ryan’s lap, licking at any exposed skin she could reach.

“It’s okay now, Ryan,” Hayden whispered as she and Lowell wrapped themselves around him as best as they could. Ryan just shook his head as he gasped and shook.

“No,” Ryan cried out as he held onto her tightly. Hayden crooned and kissed the top of his head.

“He can’t hurt you, I promise,” Hayden informed.

“You can’t reverse abuse, Hayden,” Ryan gasped out as he began to shake in her grip.

“Hey, hey. Try and calm down,” Hayden breathed out quietly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ve got all of us on edge. I’m not sure I can handle both you _and_ Grayson having panic attacks…and probably Devin. You’re going to be okay. It was a fluke you ran into him. You’ve gone two years without seeing him.”

“Not helping,” Ryan coughed. “I want Devin.”

“I’m here,” Devin’s voice announced as he and Grayson appeared and climbed into the bed. Ryan immediately wormed his way between the two of them, and they easily wrapped themselves around him. Grayson let out a long, shaky breath and buried his nose in Ryan’s hair. Ryan felt Grayson relax slightly as he wrapped Ryan up, and Ryan released a long sigh. Devin relaxed a bit as well, one hand tightly tangled with one of Ryan’s. Hestia wriggled her way into the pile as well and Hayden pat the dog’s back fondly.

“You’ll be okay in here?” Hayden asked quietly.

“Yeah. You guys can head into the living room. Let Lasey in when she gets here so she doesn’t break the door,” Devin informed. Hayden and Lowell made noises in understanding and then left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

“Lasey?” Ryan asked shakily as he lifted his head slightly from Grayson’s chest to peek over at Devin, who gave his best friend a tense smile.

“She felt my panic from your panic and freaked and is on her way,” Devin informed. Ryan sighed heavily and curled up even tighter, hiding his face back in Grayson’s chest. Grayson held onto Ryan tightly and buried his face in Ryan’s hair. Devin observed the pair and ruffled both their hair fondly. “You both need to talk this out. He deserves to _really know_ , Ry. I can’t tell him everything, and he only understands so much after this.”

“You’re the only thing keeping me here and not finding his piece of shit ass to beat him up,” Grayson informed quietly in a dangerous voice. Ryan shivered slightly as he felt waves of Grayson’s rage and dug his fingers into Grayson’s arms to ground the other man.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Ryan whispered.

“You don’t have to talk about that asshole right now. Grayson understands that he got physical with you. He watched as you flinched back and felt your panic24,” Devin informed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” Ryan replied quietly, even as Grayson tightened his hold on Ryan protectively.

“I can only explain so much, buddy,” Devin whispered as he leaned against his friend’s back. “You feel everything so intensely, which means we all feel it too. Grayson’s got it even worse than me.”

“I know,” Ryan repeated in a small voice as he released a heavy sigh.

“We don’t have to talk about it right now,” Grayson whispered into Ryan’s hair. Ryan shook his head slightly and then nudged at Devin.

“You’ll be okay if I go?” Devin asked. Ryan simply took a deep breath and nodded. Devin smiled and leaned forward to kiss the top of Ryan’s head and then reached to ruffle Grayson’s hair before he got up and left the room. Grayson and Ryan both watched him go before they fell together and lay down while curled together. They stayed silent for a few minutes, simply breathing together and comforting each other.

“I’m sorry this is what you get,” Ryan finally breathed out. Grayson made a stubborn noise and shifted around so he could look Ryan in the eye, hands on Ryan’s cheeks.

“There is _nothing_ to be sorry for. You make yourself sound like a burden, but you’re not. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me,” Grayson said forcefully. “I don’t care what baggage you may have, okay? It comes with you, and you’re wonderful and I am so happy you’re mine.”

Ryan released a shaky, wet laugh and shook his head. Grayson grumbled to himself and pulled Ryan to his chest slightly. Ryan went easily, and hid his face in Grayson’s shirt, not wanting to face anything else.

“I don’t care if your emotions spill all over me constantly. I’d rather have that than nothing from you. I’ve never felt something as strongly as I’ve felt things with you, _because_ of you. I thought I was going to explode just now because I didn’t know which was winning out, my own rage and panic over needing to protect you, or _your_ panic,” Grayson told Ryan as he ran a soothing hand up and down Ryan’s back. “In the end, that doesn’t matter, because I just want to make _happiness_ and _joy_ spill down that line rather than anything else. I want to be the reason for it, and I can’t believe that I _get_ to be the reason for it.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Ryan confessed quietly.

“I could say the same,” Grayson informed as he nudged his nose against Ryan’s forehead. Ryan shook his head stubbornly and latched onto Grayson’s shirt tightly.

“You deserve someone better than me,” Ryan replied.

“No. I get _you_ , and that’s better than anything I could hope for. I don’t care if your family is weird and I have to deal with Devin and Hayden because they’re your platonic soul mates, because you’re _my soul mate_ ,” Grayson insisted resolutely. “You’re made for me and you’re mine and I get to be the one who is yours. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Ryan stopped and simply looked at Grayson then. Grayson looked back and Ryan inspected Grayson’s serious, resolute expression. Ryan released a long breath and placed a gentle hand on Grayson’s cheek. Grayson smiled slightly and pressed their foreheads together.

“You’re better than any damn story about what soul mates are,” Ryan finally breathed out. Grayson huffed out a small laugh and then easily pulled Ryan’s mouth to his own. Ryan made a surprised noise, but then easily fell into it.

“Shoulda done that months ago,” Grayson breathed out as he pressed their foreheads together again. Ryan simply hummed in agreement and then curled himself closer into Grayson’s embrace as Hestia shifted around at their feet.

“I’m glad I found you,” Ryan sighed out as he clenched the fabric of Grayson’s shirt in his fist.

“I’m glad I found you,” Grayson echoed as he wrapped Ryan back up in his arms.

“Ryan!” Lasey’s voice suddenly called out. Ryan grumbled and buried his face even further into Grayson’s chest while Grayson tensed slightly and the bedroom door slammed open.

“Jesus fuck, Lasey, I told you to _chill_ ,” Devin’s voice hissed. Ryan could almost hear Lasey’s eye roll before she dropped onto the bed heavily.

“Hello, Lasey,” Ryan deadpanned even as he rolled over to curl into her lap. Lasey released a long, relieved sigh and ran her fingers through Ryan’s hair as she relaxed into the bed.

“You okay?” Lasey asked. Ryan nodded as he leaned into her touch, one hand still latched onto Grayson’s shirt. Grayson watched Ryan fondly as Ryan relaxed into his sister’s touch and nudged their feet together.

“I’m okay now,” Ryan added. “The panic has passed.”

“Good,” Lasey breathed out as she relaxed even more before she looked over at Grayson skeptically.

“Lasey, be nice,” Ryan told her as he pulled Grayson closer to himself. “He was with me and got me out of the situation, so _be nice_.”

“Well, then thank you,” Lasey said as her expression softened. “And sorry it is under these circumstances that we are _actually_ meeting each other.”

“I’d rather it be now than with your entire family around,” Grayson replied.

“Aw, he’s learning,” Devin crooned from the doorway. “Just you wait until Jeffry asks about your dick.”

“ _Devin_ ,” Ryan and Lasey grumbled in unison while Grayson looked over at Devin with wide, panicked eyes.

“I will not lead him towards Jeffry without knowing the facts,” Devin replied with a shrug as he walked over to the bed and dropped back onto it behind Lasey.

“Don’t put too much on him in one day, goodness,” Ryan breathed as he turned over in order to bury himself back in Grayson’s chest. Grayson hummed happily as he wrapped his arms back around Ryan and buried his nose in Ryan’s hair once more.

“C’mon, I can tell you’re all calmed down. Food is here and Spectacular! is loaded up,” Hayden informed as she appeared in the doorway. Ryan, Devin, and Lasey all made happy noises as Devin and Lasey immediately got up. “Ry, change into that damn Toothless onesie25 like we all know you want to, and then join.”

“Mmh,” Ryan simply hummed as he crawled out of Grayson’s embrace to change into the onesie. Grayson watched with a fond smile and got up to walk over and pull lightly on the hood. Ryan gave Grayson a small smile and Grayson smiled back before he leaned in to kiss Ryan briefly.

“C’mon,” Grayson chirped as he pulled away and led Ryan towards the living room. Ryan simply smiled at the back of Grayson’s head and followed easily.

000000

The next morning found Ryan and Grayson lounged together on the loveseat while Lasey and Devin sprawled across each other on the couch. Hayden and Lowell were working on homework in her room and Hestia was stretched out on the floor. Ryan leaned happily into Grayson’s chest, and Grayson smiled as he nuzzled into Ryan’s hair. Lasey and Devin simply giggled together as Lasey casually tossed grapes into Devin’s waiting mouth. Ryan watched the pair happily and laced his fingers together with Grayson’s.

“Ah! Lasey! Too much force!” Devin choked as he sat up and nearly spit out the grape she had just thrown into his mouth. Lasey cackled and sat up as well in order to clap Devin on the back.

“I know you can take more than that, baby,” Lasey crooned. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes while Ryan shook his head at them fondly. Grayson made a small noise and hid his face in Ryan’s hair.

“That seems like too much information,” Grayson breathed. Ryan hummed and shrugged as he pat Grayson’s hand that was rested on his hip.

“That’s pretty tame,” Ryan informed.

“Yeah, speaking you’re worse than me on that front,” Devin snorted as he smirked over at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow.

“I am slightly disturbed that you know each other’s limits when it comes to autofellatio,” Grayson mumbled.

“ _Autofellatio_. So formal,” Ryan chuckled. “Also, we roomed together all throughout high school when the real experimentation began.”

“Their boundaries are nonexistent,” Lasey crooned as she reached out to push Devin’s curls away from his forehead. “It’s easier to accept the fact that they’ve most definitely masturbated together than question it.”

“The lady is wise,” Devin crooned as he bat his eyelids at Lasey, who giggled and placed her hands on Devin’s cheeks to pull him into a sweet kiss. Ryan smiled fondly as he observed them and then turned his head in order to nudge Grayson’s cheek with his nose.

“Question,” Grayson suddenly piped up, “is everyone this connected to their soul mate?”

“Do you mean the emotional link thing?” Lasey asked as she sat back and regarded Grayson with a tilted head. Grayson nodded once and Lasey smiled before she shook her head once. “No. It seems to be a Castellan specialty.”

“Yep,” Ryan agreed. “Daddy and Papa didn’t realize it for a long time because they knew each other for so long that the link just _existed_ to them. Devin and I didn’t realize ours for a while.”

“Mhm. I’m sure there are other people out there that are similar, but the Castellans are their own breed. Ryan seems to be worse than the others, just because of how he is as a person,” Devin informed as he smiled over at his best friend. “It’s not often you get someone whose feelings leak out to their platonic soul mate’s soul mate.”

“Well, okay, we don’t know that for sure. I’ve never been sure if it’s just yours, or a combination of the two of you,” Lasey countered as she poked at Devin’s cheek. Devin and Ryan both shrugged while Grayson just observed all of them carefully.

“You get it more than Hayds does. That says something,” Ryan yawned out as he shrugged and then settled back against Grayson’s chest. Lasey shrugged as well and Grayson huffed out a small laugh.

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson whispered into Ryan’s ear. Ryan smiled to himself and shrugged again as Hestia crawled into his lap carefully.

“Like you haven’t known that since the day you met him,” Devin scoffed before he easily caught another grape that Lasey tossed his way. Lasey snorted with laughter as she raised her eyes over at her younger brother, who rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself. “You can grumble all you want, but you’re still the one who panicked and hid in a closet.”

“Exactly,” Lasey giggled as she blew Ryan an exaggerated kiss. “And you can definitely count on Papa making fun of you for it now that y’all have gotten your heads out of your asses.”

“God, I hate our family sometimes,” Ryan sighed heavily. Grayson just snorted and blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek.

“It’s okay. I figured you were freaking out because I inexplicably felt panicked and it wasn’t my own,” Grayson informed.

“Lovely,” Ryan deadpanned as he pulled the hood of his onesie up and over his face while Lasey and Devin cackled together.

“You know we are going to make fun of you. It’s our job,” Lasey hummed as she popped a grape into her mouth and then crawled across the couch in order to curl up in Devin’s lap happily.

“I know, and you know I give as good as I get,” Ryan replied smugly. Lasey rolled her eyes even as she smiled and flipped Ryan off. “Hey, watch it. This is my apartment, I _can_ kick you out.”

“Aw, but you wouldn’t,” Lasey crooned with an innocent smile while Devin snorted and buried his face in Lasey’s hair.

“Test me,” Ryan deadpanned as he shifted to get more comfortable. Grayson made a small noise, but then easily settled back down with Ryan, arms looped around Ryan’s waist.

“Speaking of _tests_ , you need to _prepare_ yourself, Grayson,” Lasey commented as she and Devin began to look at something on Devin’s phone.

“Why…?” Grayson questioned cautiously while Ryan heaved out a sigh.

“Their family is really intense, dude,” Devin informed. “They’re extremely close knit and protective, and I’m not just talking their immediate family. I’m talking their _honorary_ family. There is a lot of them and they’re, like, all famous.”

“Not everyone is really intense,” Ryan reassured. “The worst are going to be Aunt Lily, Aunt Kamryn, Caron, and Matt.”

“Valid,” Devin and Lasey snorted.

“Who are they?” Grayson asked.

“Aunt Lily is one of our dads’ friends and coworkers from high school. She doesn’t know how to do things halfway. Daddy and Papa met Aunt Kam in college, and she is pretty much the same, and it’s only worse when she and Aunt Lily are together,” Ryan started through a sigh. “Caron is our younger, half sister. She is extremely head strong and protective, but she also trusts Luca implicitly, so you’re over a big hump. Matt isn’t _protective_ , per say. He is just really _intense_ and _energetic_. He’s like a puppy in an adult’s body. How his trainer, Sarah, their kids, and Miranda deal with him on a daily basis is _beyond_ me.”

“God, I know,” Lasey breathed out in agreement. “His energy levels astound me.”

“I think they astound everyone,” Devin chuckled. “At least he and Leon tire each other out whenever they’re together.”

“So, is everyone you just mentioned famous…?” Grayson wondered.

“Aunt Lily is. She’s an actress. Matt is famous because he’s an Olympic gymnast,” Ryan informed with a shrug.

“What,” Grayson deadpanned as he looked down at Ryan.

“What?” Ryan echoed with a confused expression.

“Are you implying that you’re related to Matt _Sanders_?” Grayson asked.

“I mean, not by blood,” Lasey chirped. “He’s Uncle Darren’s older biological brother, and Uncle Darren was adopted into the Castellan family when he was three.”

“What the hell,” Grayson breathed out. “So, like, I know you’ve told me that most of your family is famous, but it’s really just hitting me.”

“It can be a lot to take in,” Hayden yawned as she and Lowell walked into the living room. “I went home with Ry last summer and each week I was meeting another actor or musician or gymnast or whatever else you can think of that’s related to Broadway.”

“That’s a good way of summing it up,” Devin chuckled as he tapped something on his phone and then poked Lasey’s side, causing her to giggle and turn to nip at his jaw.

“Just don’t think of them as who they are to the public,” Lowell said with a shrug. “I mean, they _are_ normal people.”

“ _Normal_ , he says,” Ryan cackled. “My family is _far_ from normal. My birth mother literally tweeted about my fathers fucking loudly for a month before she actually met them 26.”

“ _What_?” Grayson squawked as he looked between Ryan and Lasey with wide eyes. They both snorted and shook their heads.

“Dad and Pops moved into their first solo apartment right after getting back from their honeymoon. It wasn’t that wonderful of an apartment, the walls were thin, and they were twenty-four with a very enthusiastic sex life,” Lasey chirped as she tapped at Devin’s phone. “We have heard a few too many stories about it, but it still makes them get embarrassed, so it’s worth it.”

“I see that freaked out look, dude. Too bad you’re stuck with it,” Devin chuckled. “But don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Everyone is going to adore you, so they won’t be vicious.”

“Are they typically vicious…?” Grayson asked.

“Depends on the subject at hand and who is present. Caron may only be eleven, but you _do not_ mess with her. She comes home from school smug at least once a week because she’s made one of her teachers cry,” Lasey told him. “Luca is usually trailing after her looking exasperated. I think he knows his job of fielding boys away from her in high school is going to be tough.”

“Probably,” Hayden agreed as she walked back into the living room from the kitchen with a yogurt. “But seriously, do not mess with Caron. My introduction to her was her arriving at the family lake house and immediately divulging Lasey’s room of all her clothes.”

“Better than when she accidentally lit my pants on fire,” Devin commented noncommittally as he jabbed at his phone screen before Lasey could, making Lasey pout.

“ _What_?” Grayson squeaked. Devin chuckled and looked over at Grayson with a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. It was partially my fault as well. I intercepted her in her plotting. She meant to just make a small explosion, but instead _I_ caught on fire,” Devin informed. Lowell snorted from his spot on the recliner and shook his head. “The one you have to worry about pranks from is Josh.”

“Nah, Josh has toned down on the pranks if his recent Youtube videos are anything to go by,” Ryan said as he shifted around again since his legs were falling asleep underneath Hestia.

“He’s been sticking to pranking Logan, Emily, and Ethan,” Lasey said airily. “Logan’s been real pissy about it.”

“Because it’s Logan,” Ryan chuckled before he turned to Grayson. “Logan, Josh, Emily, and Ethan are my uncle Curt and aunt Maya’s kids. They and Arthur are the _fun cousins_.”

“Yeah, Michelle can be such a buzzkill lately,” Lasey breathed out. “Which makes no sense. How are you a product of Aunt Alyssa and Uncle Derek and be that way?”

“Who knows,” Devin and Ryan replied with shrugs.

“Which, by the way, Aunt Alyssa and Uncle Curt are others to look out for. They’re Dad’s older siblings and they have very _loud_ personalities,” Lasey told Grayson as she looked over at him. “They’re not super protective or anything, they’re just so _present_. You know as soon as they’re in a room and they can be pretty invasive. Dev and I have been subject to both of them cheering us on when they think we’re having sex.”

“That is slightly disturbing,” Grayson coughed out.

“Welcome to the family,” Ryan deadpanned as he pat Grayson’s leg and then turned to press a kiss to Grayson’s jaw line.

“I think I’d like to make a return,” Grayson replied through a playful smile.

“Too bad for you there’s a no return policy,” Ryan crooned as he smirked up at Grayson, who smiled back and rolled his eyes before he wrapped Ryan up tightly. Ryan squeaked out giggles and pushed playfully at Grayson’s chest.

“That’s what you get for having Muscles McGee as your soul mate,” Devin snorted as he watched Ryan and Grayson scrabble against each other playfully.

“And you have my sister, so you’re no one to talk,” Ryan snorted as he looked over at Devin with a quirked eyebrow. Devin simply shrugged and leaned over to nuzzle his nose to Lasey’s cheek. She smiled widely and leaned into Devin in response.

“Y’all are sickening,” Hayden breathed out as she draped her legs over Lowell’s lap.

“You only say that because you refuse to be cutesy with Lowell out in the open unless you’re drunk or overtired,” Ryan countered with a laugh as he shoved Grayson’s arms away in order to drop himself into Grayson’s lap. Hayden and Lowell both shrugged and exchanged a glance.

“Neither of us mind. We are no Castellans. You are a very tactile breed,” Lowell chirped.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a Castellan upbringing thing,” Devin laughed. “I can’t say it’s just Castellans, because all of Jeff’s siblings are the same way at this point.”

“And Uncle Darren and Uncle Dalton,” Ryan commented as he rested his arms overtop Grayson’s which were wrapped around his waist.

“Well, Uncle Dalton was hit on both sides. Grew up around Castellans and mated to Uncle Darren,” Lasey giggled.

“Your family seems enormous and I am slightly intimidated,” Grayson said quietly as he pressed his face between Ryan’s shoulder blades.

“It is enormous, I won’t lie. But you also won’t have to meet them all at once,” Ryan told Grayson as he pat one of Grayson’s hands. “But for now you can forget all about it and we can continue watching Brandywine.”

“Ooo! Yes!” Devin exclaimed in excitement as he jumped up to get the DVDs. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes at Devin while Hayden and Lowell chuckled. Grayson just smiled and hugged Ryan closer to his chest. Ryan smiled back and kissed the tip of Grayson’s nose before he shifted into a better cuddling position for the both of them on the couch.

000000

“Ry, _Ryan_! No!” Grayson squeaked months later as Ryan simultaneously tickled Grayson’s sides and bit at his neck. Ryan chuckled against Grayson’s skin while Grayson squeaked out giggles and attempted to push Ryan off of his chest. “You’re a leech!”

“You’ve known this since before we were dating, babe,” Ryan chuckled as he pulled his mouth away from Grayson’s neck. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he stuck his tongue out at Ryan, who huffed out a laugh and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of Grayson’s nose before he poked at Grayson’s sides again. Grayson squawked out and then began to giggle again. Ryan smiled triumphantly and sat up in order to be in a better position to tickle Grayson.

“I swear, if your dads come by…” Grayson gasped out through laughter.

“My dads won’t say jack shit because they know I have material against them,” Ryan hummed in response as he shifted on top of Grayson, who released a small groan. Ryan smiled smugly, to which Grayson growled and then quickly flipped the over. Ryan squeaked and then began to giggle as he easily wrapped his arms and legs around Grayson.

“You’re a menace,” Grayson hissed as he pressed their noses together. Ryan hummed smugly and easily rolled his hips. Grayson made another small noise before he sealed their mouths together. Ryan hummed once more and buried his fingers in Grayson’s hair tightly. Grayson made a small noise in response before he shifted them slightly. Ryan choked on a gasp and Grayson huffed out a triumphant breath.

“Who’s- _ah_ -the menace now?” Ryan gasped out as he scratched along Grayson’s shoulders. Grayson just chuckled and nuzzled their noses together. Ryan hummed happily and clenched his thighs around Grayson, who made a happy noise before he kissed Ryan again.

“I love you,” Grayson whispered against Ryan’s mouth. Ryan smiled widely and bumped their noses together even as he shifted his hips slightly, causing Grayson to groan.

“I love you too,” Ryan replied as he nipped at Grayson’s collarbone.

“No, no more hickies. I am _not_ meeting your family while littered with hickies,” Grayson informed as he gave Ryan as serious a look as he could. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he pressed his fingers into one of the hickies he had left along Grayson’s chest. “Those ones aren’t _visible_ , you little shit.”

“A hickey is a hickey, Gray,” Ryan giggled, which only drove Grayson to push more forcefully into Ryan. Ryan gasped out a small giggle and threw his head back, making Grayson hum smugly. “Don’t be so smug, mister.”

“I will be as smug as I want,” Grayson replied as he sat back and tugged Ryan up. Ryan squawked out a surprised giggle and then sighed as he settled into Grayson’s lap.

“Mmh, but we both know I have the upper hand in _this_ position,” Ryan informed with a smirk as he shifted in order to rise up slightly and then drop back down. Grayson groaned and buried his face in Ryan’s neck while Ryan gasped out a few giggles.

“I don’t know how I got stuck with you,” Grayson breathed out.

“Well, you’re the one with your…” Ryan started with a quirked eyebrow. Grayson cut Ryan off with a growl and bit at Ryan’s neck, making Ryan giggle manically.

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” Grayson informed in a fond voice as he began to pepper kisses along Ryan’s neck and jaw. Ryan simply giggled and rolled his hips slightly, which caused Grayson to stutter in his actions.

“Love and hate are borderline, babe,” Ryan informed breathily as he felt Grayson begin to tense up beneath him. Grayson simply groaned into Ryan’s neck and gripped at Ryan’s waist tightly. Ryan smiled triumphantly and easily pushed Grayson down into the laying position while he remained upright. Grayson smiled up at Ryan dopily for a second before his breath hitched and he latched onto Ryan’s hips tightly once more.

“I still hate you,” Grayson panted out a couple minutes later as he stared up at Ryan fondly. Ryan just smiled back down at Grayson as he twirled his fingers across Grayson’s chest happily.

“Yeah, yeah, I hate you too,” Ryan chuckled even as he shifted on top of Grayson, who groaned and stilled Ryan’s hips.

“Too much, you heathen,” Grayson grumbled before he removed Ryan from himself and flipped Ryan onto his back once more. Ryan giggled and buried his face in Grayson’s neck.

“Your chest is gonna be all gross. I can feel it,” Ryan informed through a laugh.

“And whose fault is that?” Grayson asked.

“Yours. You could have kept me on my back and bent me over,” Ryan informed primly with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Grayson stared down at Ryan then, pupils blowing wide once more. Ryan cackled and pressed his hands to Grayson’s cheeks before Grayson grumbled and leaned down to nip at Ryan’s cheeks.

“Circling back to me hating you…” Grayson laughed. Ryan just hummed happily and pulled Grayson into a kiss.

“I love you more than you can comprehend,” Ryan breathed with a small smile. Grayson smiled back and then nuzzled his nose into Ryan’s cheek.

“I love you more,” Grayson replied simply.

“ _Baaaaby boooooy_!” a voice suddenly bugled out. Ryan squeaked in surprise and Grayson looked down at Ryan in shock right before Artemis burst into his room. Grayson squawked and ducked under the covers while Ryan glared in Artemis’ direction. She stopped short in the doorway and looked between Ryan and the lump beneath the covers that was Grayson. “ _Woops_.”

“Hm, tamer than I thought when I heard all the giggling,” Lasey chirped nonchalantly as she walked by and flipped her hair over the shoulder. Grayson groaned dramatically at the comment and Ryan heaved out a heavy sigh.

“Artemis! What did I tell you about bursting into rooms with no real warning?” Jeff yelled from downstairs. Artemis sighed and rolled her eyes even as Ryan continued to glare at her.

“No! You told that to my daughter because she walked in on Luca masturbating!” Artemis replied.

“ _No_ , we told that rule to the _both_ of you because you’re _both_ terrible!” Riker called out in response. Caron and Artemis made twin noises in offence and Ryan rolled his eyes fondly.

“While it’s just _so lovely_ to see you, Martie, I would also greatly appreciate you _leaving_ ,” Ryan hissed out. Artemis turned her attention back to Ryan then and rolled her eyes.

“Like I haven’t seen worse,” she scoffed before she flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked off down the stairs.

“You couldn’t close the door?” Ryan protested loudly.

“When does Mom ever close doors?” Caron giggled as she appeared and poked her head into Ryan’s room right as Ryan was climbing out from beneath the blankets to get up and close the door.

“ _Caron_!” Ryan complained loudly while she giggled manically and then ran off, hair bouncing behind her.

“Ry had that white stuff all over him,” he heard Caron inform everyone downstairs matter of factly. Grayson whimpered pathetically beneath the covers while Ryan growled angrily and slammed his door shut.

“Remind me why I agreed to come home with you for winter break,” Grayson whispered as he peeked up at Ryan from beneath the blankets. Ryan softened as he looked down at Grayson and walked over to press a kiss to the tip of Grayson’s nose.

“Because your parents went on vacation and you love me27. I can’t promise you’ll love my family…obviously,” Ryan replied simply. Grayson rolled his eyes and rubbed at his face. “The door is closed and locked now, by the way. Shower?”

“Yeah,” Grayson huffed out before he accepted Ryan’s outstretched hand so Ryan could lead him to the bathroom.

“Are you wearing my sweats, or no?” Ryan asked as he toweled his hair off roughly once they got out of the shower.

“Shouldn’t I wear something nicer than sweats?” Grayson questioned in response. Ryan shrugged even as he pulled on his own pair of sweatpants.

“My family does not care. I’m sure when Katie shows up she will be in yoga pants and a hoodie,” Ryan replied.

“Yeah, but she already _knows_ everyone,” Grayson protested. Ryan stopped and gave Grayson a deadpan look.

“Gray, I promise you none of my family is going to give a rat’s _ass_ what you’re wearing. Papa, Jude, and Martie saw you shirtless over Skype a few weeks back,” Ryan informed.

“ _What_?” Grayson squawked. Ryan smiled and walked over to place a calming hand on Grayson’s cheek.

“You were half asleep and didn’t notice. No one cares. Most of my family has seen each other naked, and that includes significant others. You can wear some damn sweats if you want,” Ryan hummed before he kissed Grayson sweetly. Grayson relaxed slightly and then sighed as he pulled on a pair of Ryan’s sweatpants. Ryan hummed happily as he pulled on an old t-shirt and then tossed one at Grayson, who accepted it easily and pulled it on.

“Do I _have_ to go downstairs?” Grayson asked as he pouted dramatically in Ryan’s direction. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he latched onto Grayson’s hand.

“Yes. And remember, Lasey and Devin have been caught mid-act,” Ryan chirped before he dragged Grayson out of the room. Grayson grumbled to himself, but followed easily.

“Morning, baby boy,” Riker hummed as he ruffled Ryan’s hair in passing. Jeff smiled sweetly over at his son, and then gave Grayson a reassuring thumbs-up. Grayson just blushed and hid behind Ryan slightly, which caused Lasey to snort with amusement. Caron walked up then and inspected Grayson carefully. Grayson gave Ryan a questioning look before he looked down at Caron to keep a close eye on her. Once she finished her inspection, she looked Grayson in the eye and shrugged.

“You seem fine. Luca likes you well enough,” she informed before she skipped off. Grayson gave Ryan a disbelieving look and Ryan giggled as he kissed Grayson’s cheek.

“It’s easier not to question her and just go with it,” Ryan informed quietly. Grayson nodded once and then looked over with a slightly startled expression as Jay and Artemis approached them.

“Hello. I’m Jay, and I apologize for Artemis and my daughter’s actions,” Jay said as he shook Grayson’s hand.

“It’s okay,” Grayson breathed out, even though his cheeks were bright red. Artemis huffed out a breath next to Jay and rolled her eyes.

“If it means anything, I don’t care about walking in right after you guys finished. I more care that my baby boy is happy,” Artemis chirped as she reached out to pinch Ryan’s cheek fondly. Ryan made a stubborn noise and swat at Artemis’ hand.

“Maybe _we_ care, Martie,” Ryan drawled. Artemis rolled her eyes and pat Ryan’s cheek.

“Where was that when you used to leave the door open all the time in high school?” Artemis retorted.

“How many times do I have to tell you that was all Eric!” Ryan squawked indignantly.

“Artemis, I swear to god, stop riling my children up on purpose,” Jeff hissed out as he walked over and pinched Artemis’ ear.

“Hark who’s talking, Mr. _What’s his dick like_?” Artemis mocked.

“I never asked that to his face!” Jeff protested as Grayson watched them with wide eyes.

“You two! _Behave_!” Riker yelled over the both of them while Lasey giggled into her hands on the couch. “Stop talking about our son’s sex life. You’re scarring poor Grayson.”

“It’s not like Dev and I didn’t warn him,” Lasey commented through a laugh.

“Lase, we all know hearing about it and actually _experiencing_ it is different,” Riker deadpanned as he looked over at his daughter seriously. Lasey just shrugged and opened up her arms to allow Kyler to climb into her lap.

“Yes, but if we could please stop picking on Gray, I would appreciate it. The embarrassment leak over is making me itch,” Ryan commented even as he squeezed Grayson’s hand and led him over to the couch to sit down. Grayson immediately curled into Ryan’s side and buried his face in Ryan’s neck. Ryan smiled and pat Grayson’s leg fondly.

“Aw, you guys are just so _adorable_ ,” Lasey crooned.

“You’re a demon,” Ryan and Grayson told her in unison, making her giggle manically while Kyler played with her hair.

“The synchrony makes it even more adorable,” Lasey chirped as Avalon climbed up onto the couch between her and Ryan.

“Stop teasing your brother,” Riker deadpanned as he walked by and flicked Lasey on the back of the head. Lasey just shrugged and then reached out to start braiding Avalon’s hair. Avalon hummed happily and leaned back into Lasey’s touch while Kyler giggled and attempted to copy Lasey’s motions on Lasey’s own hair. Grayson watched the twins with a fond look in his eyes and propped his chin on Ryan’s shoulder happily.

“We could have that one day,” Grayson whispered. Ryan hummed happily and nodded in agreement as he tipped his head against Grayson’s.  
            “Kindly stop being so sickening,” Lasey yawned without taking her attention off of Avalon’s red hair. Ryan just rolled his eyes and squeezed Grayson’s knee.

“Ryan!” Katie’s excited voice suddenly squeaked out as she popped up behind him and hugged him around the neck. Ryan laughed and pat at her arms before he removed them.

“Hello, Kate,” Ryan chuckled as she jumped around the couch to sit down on the floor in front of him. “This is Grayson, by the way. Gray, this is Katie. She’s Jude’s younger sister.”

“Hello,” Grayson chirped with a small smile.

“Hey,” Katie replied with a bright smile. “I’ve heard lots of good things about you. The twins and Luca never shut up about you.”

“Yeah. Luca’s got some kind of weird uncle crush,” Caron cackled as she walked into the living room and dropped onto the floor to curl into Katie’s side.

“Be nice,” Lasey, Ryan, and Katie all informed in unison.

“I will do as I please. Luca is basically my brother,” Caron scoffed with a roll of her eyes. Katie snorted and cuffed Caron on the back of the head.

“She makes a point,” Lasey breathed out with a small shrug.

“Is this whole family just terrible to each other?” Grayson questioned.

“Yes,” Katie, Lasey, and Caron replied.

“Like you and your siblings are any better!” Ryan laughed. “I know because I spent Thanksgiving with all of you.”

“Point,” Grayson chuckled before he pressed a kiss to Ryan’s cheek. Ryan hummed in triumph and nodded once.

“Also, did you guys see the videos of you circling the internet?” Katie asked.

“No, which ones?” Ryan asked.

“Well there’s one of you and Dev singing along to [The Other Side](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk008ADh4iY) and dancing, but the one people are _freaking_ about is you two singing [Rewrite the Stars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdjR2lvIfJ4) 28,” Katie informed as she looked back at Ryan and Grayson with a small smile. “It’s very cute, by the way.”

“I thought Ryan was going to die, like, fifty times,” Grayson breathed out heavily while Ryan smiled and bumped his nose into Grayson’s temple.

“I’ve done aerials enough that the slips I had would have resulted in only minor injuries,” Ryan informed.

“Oh, only _minor_ injuries, he says,” Grayson deadpans.

“Wait, I haven’t seen these videos. Show me,” Lasey giggled as she leaned forward into Katie’s space. Katie giggled and immediately pulled up the videos on her phone in order to hand it to Lasey. Caron made an interested noise and climbed up onto the couch on Lasey’s free side to watch as well. Ryan and Grayson shrugged to themselves as the sound of them singing to each other began to filter out of Katie’s phone.

“You’re probably going to have to address the video at some point because people are contemplating the status of your intimate relationship,” Katie chirped as she looked back at the pair.

“We know. We figured some dumb reporter is going to ask at the movie premiere tomorrow and we would be upfront about it,” Ryan told her. “Now that we know the video exists and is circling, I’m sure that will be the lead in.”

“Ryan, your aerials are getting _fantastic_ ,” Lasey commented breathily. “Also, Grayson, how _dare_ you hide that singing voice from this family!”

“I don’t sing in front of large groups. The only people there with us were Devin and Alessandra and I didn’t know Al was filming us,” Grayson replied. Ryan hummed in agreement as leaned into Grayson happily.

“Also, your protectiveness of Ryan when he slips slightly is adorably wonderful,” Lasey giggled as she handed Katie her phone back.

“I’ve watched him nearly break his nose tripping over his own feet, I thought I was going to have a heart attack the whole time he was in the air,” Grayson deadpanned. Ryan just giggled manically and latched onto Grayson’s cheeks to kiss him roughly.

“I love you,” Ryan chirped. Grayson just smiled and rolled his eyes before he poked Ryan’s sides playfully. Ryan giggled even more and burrowed his face into Grayson’s neck.

“You two are sickening,” Katie told them while Caron pretended to gag next to Lasey.

“You get used to it,” Lasey informed with a shrug.

“But, why did you guys choose that song?” Katie asked.

“Devin and Ry recently made us all watch The Greatest Showman and then proceeded to only listen to the soundtrack. We needed to get it out of their system,” Grayson told her with a small shrug while Ryan giggled to himself.

“That is so adorably supportive, yet also manipulative,” Katie breathed.

“One learns how to twist the situations of Ryan and Devin when around them enough,” Grayson replied with a shrug. Lasey snorted out a laugh and reached out of give Grayson a high-five.

“You learn fast, young one,” Lasey commented as Caron gave Grayson an impressed look.

“Yeah, looks like you’ve even left Caron impressed, and that is quite the achievement,” Katie cackled as she looked back at Caron and poked at her cheek. Caron squawked indignantly and then flung herself roughly into Katie’s lap while Katie laughed.

“I just can’t wait until Gramma meets him. She’s gonna _melt_ ,” Lasey giggled as she looked over at Grayson, who made a face at her.

“Stop trying to intimidate him, Lase. It’s rude,” Ryan told her as he reached over Avalon’s head to pinch his older sister’s arm.

“Plus, you know Curt is going to be the worst of the adults,” Katie hummed as she ran her fingers through Caron’s hair. “Josh and Arthur will be the worst of all the kids.”

“I don’t know. Logan is pregnant right now. She might burst into tears at the adorable,” Caron informed nonchalantly.

“Point,” Lasey and Katie agreed while Ryan rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder at Grayson.

“Don’t listen to them. They’re all nuts,” Ryan whispered. Grayson chuckled and bit at Ryan’s cheek.

“You’re no one to talk,” Grayson replied. Ryan smiled and shrugged as he bumped their noses together.

“Sure, but the difference is that I’m _yours_ ,” Ryan hummed.

“Mmh, compelling argument,” Grayson chirped with a wide smile. Ryan smiled back and kissed Grayson sweetly.

“God, I never thought I would see a pair more sickening than you two,” Addie’s voice suddenly commented.

“I _told_ you!” Jeff exclaimed triumphantly while Riker and Kaiden sighed heavily at their significant others. Grayson looked over at the adults with wide, shocked eyes while Ryan heaved out a sigh.

“Does your dad have a twin you didn’t tell me about?” Grayson whispered. Ryan snorted and shook his head.

“No, that’s his cousin, Kaiden. Their dads were identical twins,” Ryan told Grayson, who nodded once.

“Yeah. It can get a bit confusing, but Dad’s a bit more reserved than Riker,” Katie said as she shifted forward in order to let Caron braid her hair.

“We are right here, you know,” Kaiden deadpanned. Katie rolled her eyes at her dad, but otherwise didn’t response.

“ _Anyway_ , Gray, those are Addie and Kaiden. Guys, this is Grayson,” Ryan introduced as he gestured at each of them. “Addie is Dad’s platonic soul mate and Jude’s mom.”

“That I am!” Addie squeaked brightly. “And it’s _wonderful_ to meet you. I’m so happy our little Ry has found his person.”

“Ugh, stop being so sappy,” Ryan grumbled even as Addie walked over to pinch his cheeks. Lasey snorted with glee next to him and Ryan reached out to slap her arm.

“Aw, Ry, we are just happy you’re happy,” Artemis crooned as she popped up behind Riker.

“I knooooow,” Ryan drawled out as Grayson smiled over at Ryan. “Doesn’t mean I have to like all the attention.”

“Well, expect it, because basically everyone knows you hid in a closet the first time you met Grayson,” Jeff informed as he walked over to scoop Kyler out of Lasey’s lap.

“ _What_?” Ryan squawked with wide eyes as Grayson snorted with laughter next to him.

“Oh, _c’mon_ , how did you expect Papa to keep _that_ secret once everything calmed down?” Lasey asked in a deadpan as Avalon crawled into her lap.

“Ugh, I hate this family,” Ryan grumbled as he dropped his head back against the couch.

“Lies are terrible things, baby boy,” Artemis breathed as she walked by and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Better get used to the ridicule, babe. You know the children will know,” Grayson informed. Ryan growled quietly and then turned in order to place himself in Grayson’s lap and bite at Grayson’s neck. Grayson just giggled manically and wrapped his arms around Ryan tightly.

“Aw, he’s already teasing you about the stories he’s gonna tell your future children!” Lasey squeaked. “Can I tell them about how your eyes almost fell out of your head on Halloween?”

“No!” Grayson squawked as he looked over at Lasey in shock, only to see Lasey cackling madly with her head thrown back.

“She may not tell your future children about it, but you better expect her to tell all of the cousins about it,” Katie deadpanned as she accepted Caron back into her lap. “Embarrassment is her specialty. Devin and Ryan have always been her main targets, and since you’re Ryan’s soul mate, you’re lumped into that.”

“Yeah, but I could take her down in two seconds,” Grayson retorted.

“Grayson, you already know I will never agree to any type of strength competition with you,” Lasey commented as she looked over at Grayson sarcastically.

“I never said you have to _agree_ to anything,” Grayson replied with a quirked eyebrow while Ryan giggled and nuzzled his nose against Grayson’s cheek.

“Aw, babe, this is why I love you so,” Ryan cooed before he kissed Grayson’s cheek.

“Aw, I love you too,” Grayson replied as he turned to smile at Ryan and kiss him briefly.

“God, they’re gonna make me puke,” Kaiden gagged while Addie and Artemis giggled happily.

“I can’t believe someone has finally beat Riker and Jeff out. I never thought I would see the day,” Addie chirped as she smiled over at Ryan and Grayson.

“And I could do without the commentary, thanks,” Ryan informed.

“I mean, if you want me to take Kay and Adds down a notch, I could tell them about earlier…” Artemis suggested.

“ _No_!” Ryan and Grayson screamed in unison, Grayson’s cheeks flushing brightly.

“Artemis, stop torturing our son, Jesus,” Riker sighed as he walked over to sit down next to Jeff and ruffle Kyler’s hair.

“If you don’t behave, I will have to take you back home and lock you there,” Jay added as he pinched Artemis’ arm. Artemis just sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

“I have to milk it while I can, because I know they’re never going to give me the material Lasey and Devin have,” Artemis sighed.

“No! We are not going there!” Lasey squawked.

“Oh, but we should! You’re a deviant!” Artemis replied while Riker and Jeff began to snort with laughter.

“Your family is a trip,” Grayson whispered to Ryan as they watched Artemis and Lasey argue with one another while everyone else snorted with laughter.

“And this is only the start,” Ryan replied with a small giggle before he smacked a kiss to Grayson’s cheek and then settled against Grayson’s chest to continue observing Lasey protest against Artemis’ claims.

000000

“ _Ssshh_ , I don’t want your family to realize we are awake yet,” Grayson giggled quietly into Ryan’s skin a few days later. Ryan snorted and poked at Grayson’s side.

“You say that like us sleeping would stop any of them from barging in here,” Ryan added.

“You make a valid point, babe,” Grayson chuckled even as he tightened his hold on Ryan, who giggled and easily curled into Grayson’s chest.

“Especially with Josh and Arthur both here. I love them, but they’re menaces,” Ryan hummed. Grayson made a noise in agreement and kissed Ryan’s jaw line.

“How old is Arthur29 again?” Grayson asked.

“Sixteen,” Ryan yawned in response.

“Hm, he seems older,” Grayson commented. Ryan nodded in agreement and moved one arm in order to bury his finger in the hair at the nape of Grayson’s neck.

“He acts older sometimes. He’s still got ridiculous teen in him, though,” Ryan replied. “He’s also the one I’ve always done dumb shit with.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Grayson asked as he scratched his stubble along Ryan’s bare shoulder.

“Mmh, one time we went back to back and [climbed the walls](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/65894983492/dylannews-dont-remember-why-this-was) of a hotel,” Ryan informed with a small, fond smile. Grayson quirked one eyebrow at his boyfriend and Ryan giggled innocently. “Surprisingly, neither of us got hurt.”

“I feel like I need photographic evidence of this,” Grayson deadpanned.

“Of what?” Arthur asked through a yawn as he snuck into the room and closed the door behind himself.

“The time we climbed the walls of that hotel,” Ryan replied. Arthur hummed in understanding as he collapsed onto the bed and curled up with Hestia, who grumbled happily.

“I have the picture Lasey took on my phone,” Arthur commented as he pulled his phone out of his pajama pants pocket. He flicked through his pictures quickly and then tossed his phone at Grayson. Grayson made an interested noise and sat up to grab Arthur’s phone and look at the picture.

“Who’s the one trying to support Arthur?” Grayson asked.

“Jude,” Ryan replied as he sat up as well to look at the picture.

“She does not seem the one to have encouraged this behavior,” Grayson chuckled.

“She is deceptively mischievous,” Arthur informed. “She just makes sure Luca and Spencer aren’t around first so they don’t get ideas.”

“Too bad Spenc is already a menace,” Ryan snorted. “That girl is gonna put them through the ringer once she hits her teens.”

“Yep,” Arthur agreed as he scratched at Hestia’s ears. “Poor Ky is gonna get ganged up on. He doesn’t know what he’s in for.”

“Nope,” Ryan chuckled in agreement. “It can’t be worse than what Luca deals with when it comes to Caron, though.”

“That girl is a whirlwind,” Grayson breathed out as he shook his head slightly.

“That’s putting it _nicely_ ,” Arthur chuckled. “The first thing I ever heard her say after she started talking was _obey me_.”

“What?” Grayson gasped while Ryan rolled his eyes fondly.

“That was honestly Jay’s fault. Whenever Caron would act up he would use this ridiculous voice and go _You must obey me, small child_! Caron thought it was hilarious,” Ryan told Grayson while Arthur snorted to himself.

“We should be lucky that Matt wasn’t around more when Caron was younger,” Arthur yawned. Ryan nodded in agreement and ran a hand over his face.

“With any of the younger ones, to be honest. The insanity that would ensue,” Ryan breathed.

“That doesn’t make me any _less_ nervous to meet him,” Grayson shuddered out. Arthur snorted out a laugh and reached out to clap a hand to Grayson’s knee.

“You’ll be fine. Matt’s just overly enthusiastic. It’s like having a puppy in the body of an adult man,” Arthur chirped.

“Pretty much. But Leon will be here as well, so it’s fine. They tire each other out,” Ryan added as he pat Grayson’s cheek reassuringly before he kissed it. Grayson hummed in understanding and then startled slightly as the door flung open.

“Daddy says up time!” Avalon squeaked as she and Kyler ran into the room and jumped onto the bed.

“Oh, did he?” Arthur asked as he scooped the toddler into his chest and bit at her neck and cheeks playfully. Avalon squealed out a giggle and pushed at Arthur’s face while Kyler giggled to himself and crawled over into Grayson’s lap.

“No, Art’ur!” Avalon squawked as Arthur laughed manically and continued to tickle her.

“You gotta get him back, Avie!” Ryan told her as he reached out to poke at Arthur’s sides. Arthur squeaked indignantly, and then wailed dramatically as Avalon took advantage to try and tickle him as well.

“I win!” Josh suddenly screeched as he ran into the room and threw Arthur over his shoulder. Arthur grunted and then laughed, clutching onto the back of Josh’s shirt tightly.

“Get Artie!” Kyler bugled happily, throwing his small fists into the air. Josh simply cackled manically and darted out of the room with Arthur hiccupping out laughs from his shoulder. Avalon giggled hysterically and flopped off of the bed to follow Josh. Kyler smiled brightly and climbed onto Grayson’s shoulders before gesturing out the door. “Follow!”

“Alright, I’m goin’,” Grayson chuckled as he got up and made sure Kyler wasn’t going to fall off of his shoulders before following the procession. Ryan smiled as he watched them go, and then followed at a more sedate pace.

“I don’t think there will ever be such a thing as calm mornings in this house,” Lasey yawned as Ryan joined her at the bottom of the stairs.

“You’re probably right,” Ryan agreed through a chuckle as he watched Josh and Grayson pile on top of Arthur with the two toddlers while Arthur squawked out for help.

“I wonder if this is what Daddy and Papa envisioned for us,” Lasey commented as they watched Devin cackle and throw himself onto the pile as well, resulting in high-pitched giggles from the twins and a loud grunt from Arthur.

“Absolutely not,” Riker chuckled as he appeared behind them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

“We wouldn’t change it, though,” Jeff hummed as he popped up behind his husband and watched the group squabbling in the living room, even as it continued to grow as Michelle, Ethan, and Emily joined the fray.

“Definitely not,” Riker agreed as he kissed Ryan’s temple, and then Lasey’s. “We couldn’t imagine better matches for either of you.”

“Even if Grayson is still adjusting,” Jeff laughed as they all watched Grayson laugh loudly as Josh and Emily tackled him to the couch.

“He’s doing well, though,” Riker chirped as they watched Tancred, Cassie, and Michelle join the fray and adding to the noise. Lasey hummed in agreement and bumped her shoulder into Ryan’s.

“Your man is a good one,” Lasey added. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes, even as he watched Grayson carefully as Grayson attempted to pull his way out from beneath Arthur and Michelle. Grayson caught Ryan’s eye and smiled widely, eyes filled with adoration. Ryan smiled back and settled back against Riker, happy that life had finally fallen into place.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 19) FOR MORE IN DEPTH INFO OF RYAN AND HIS BBY BOO, PLZ REFER FOR MY NANOWRIMO 2015 NOVEL MKRAY. SHAMELESS SELF PROMO BECAUSE THAT NANO IS MY FAVE NANO SO FAR (which I also wrote in the middle of a 21 credit semester mkraaaay)  
> 20) I got it into my head that Riker would have definitely choreographed to this song, which then led to Ryan doing the same thing with Devin and performing it  
> 21) Seeing Blind is honestly such a cute frickin song, and Ryan would easily become obsessed with it once he and Grayson became closer because RYAN IS A GIANT SAP  
> 22) I brushed over this in this retelling, but the twins spent a weekend at Ryan's apartment over the summer, so they had met Grayson before (and they ADORE him)  
> 23) At one point in a bio class, Grayson spouts out the fact about how duck penises are corkscrewed and all that goes with it (he really liked ducks as a kid mkray, his siblings nicknamed him "Little Duck"/"Duck"), and OF COURSE HAYDEN TELLS HER ROOMMATES ABOUT IT, but it also embarrasses tf out of Grayson cuz he's an innocent bb  
> 24) OKAY, RYAN AND ERIC. They went to high school together at Westtown (Lasey and Ryan attend the high school their dads did). Ryan was really reserved at the start of hs bc he was bullied in middle school (despite Devin's best efforts, but Devin is not very intimidating. That's AAAAAAAAALL Lasey). He and Eric began dating halfway through their freshman year of high school, and are together for four years. For the majority of the relationship, Eric was fine. In the last year he got extremely emotionally and mentally abusive towards Ryan, telling him he was worthless, except for sex. This is extremely damaging to Ryan, and is only exacerbated by the time that Eric gets physically abusive with Ryan. That really kicked Ryan into leaving Eric, and his whole family are behind him. Ryan, Devin, and Hayden all move off campus into their apartment (Castellan Flats), second semester of their freshman year so that Ryan could be more removed from the situation. It's also why Ryan keeps the location pretty locked down and doesn't invite many people over. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, JUST ASK  
> 25) Okay. Let's talk about this Toothless onesie. Devin and Hayden HATE it. After the Eric catastrophe, Ryan took comfort in wearing it, ALL THE TIME. Hayden and Devin decide it had gone too far and took to hiding it from Ryan after he began to wear it to classes. Now they only bring it out and allow him his comfort in it when he really needs it.  
> 26) ARTEMIS. So, as stated, Riker and Jeff moved into their first solo apartment right after coming back from their honeymoon (previously had lived with Lily/Carter, and then Kamryn/Macen). Their sex life was obviously extremely active, and they could get pretty loud. Riker had randomly followed back this girl on twitter, and she had begun to tweet back and forth with her younger brother (Danny) about the loud sex their neighbors were having. Riker nearly figured it out a couple times, but y'know, Jeffry distracted him away from his phone. Addie, Kaiden, and Jude also lived in their building, and Jude ran towards Danny, as she knew him bc he takes classes at the studio. Artemis soon emerged, and nearly died because she didn't know WHO here neighbors were, or think about the fact that said neighbors had been seeing her tweets. Once all the embarrassment died down (and Addie's cackling laughter), they quickly became friends, and then a year or so later, Artie becomes their surrogate. There is a short story on all of this if anyone is interested :)  
> 27) Okay, so story behind how Grayson ends up at the Castellan's for Christmas. Ryan ended up spending Thanksgiving with Grayson and his older siblings (their parents are on vacation out of the country) since Riker and the twins were deathly ill, and Lasey escaped to Devin's family. Over that break, Ryan invites Grayson to his for Christmas. Grayson obviously accepts (since his parents will still be away), and ends up staying the whole break, and tries to excuse it to his roommates because they have the premiere for their movie over the break.  
> 28) OKAY, LEMME TELL YOU A THING. REWRITE THE STARS IS A GORGEOUS SONG AND I GOT IT STUCK IN MY HEAD THAT RYAN AND GRAYSON WOULD SING IT TOGETHER AS RYAN FLIT AROUND GRAYSON AND GRAYSON JUST WATChED RYAN LIKE THE LOVESTRUCK FOOL HE IS. I messaged Jennie about it and she flipped, which gave me life. Also, Ryan would definitely be in the process of learning aerials, just because it would be something fun to do. However, being a bystander gives Grayson multiple mini heart attacks, because Ryan is EXTREMELY CLUMSY  
> 29) So, Arthur. He is obviously Ryan's younger cousin (Alyssa and Derek's youngest), and he eventually attends Swarthmore. By the time Arthur enrolls, Devin has moved out with Lasey, so Arthur takes Devin's spot in Castellan Flats. He melds well together with the rest of the dynamic

**Author's Note:**

> AND SO CONCLUDES MY NANOWRIMO 2k17!!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the novel :)  
> Please feel free to message me with any questions. I have plenty of short stories that may fill in some questions you have, and I can point you in their direction if needed. However, some of the answers are held in the main novel, Midnight Swallows & TV Cameras. I left out some things, because if I put in all the detail that was in the main novel for Riker and Jeff (and Ryan and Grayson), I would be writing this novel until I DIED OKAY.
> 
> Okay. Bye. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it :3!


End file.
